The Colors of Nothing and Everything
by Abeo
Summary: Naruto leaves Konoha at the age of six after an attempt on his life. He trains for four years to be a ninja, and returns to enroll in the Ninja Academy. Watch as Naruto becomes a ninja, and the adventures that follow..Yes, I'm writing. No, I'm not dead..
1. Minato Prologue

Chapter 1-Minato Prologue

Hello! I decided to write a fan fiction, and here's the prologue. I think that it will be really long. I'll talk more at the bottom, here's the story!

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story.

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs(Original Characters) that I invent.

* * *

"something"- Normal speech

"something else"- Summon speech

* * *

Minato smiled. He knew in his heart that he was wrong, but he thought that it would be right. His mom had volunteered this baby for the project, a weak 'use… Naruto' before she died on her hospital bed. Minato thought about the life that he was sure to condemn to hatred, pain, and suffering. His smile dropped, but came back with renewed vigor when the baby in his arms gave a soft gurgle, and started slapping Minato with his opened hand. This Naruto was going to be a wild one alright.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Yondaime-sama?"

Minato turned around to see Kakashi, who had entered the room right before he picked up the young child. His little genin had grown into his great ANBU captain.

"Yes, Kashi-Chan." Minato's smile grew, then he burst out laughing at his reaction. He laughed while Kakashi blushed and held his head in embarrassment. "Don't worry Kakashi-san," he began, "it will work, and I'm adamant if it saves this village." Kakashi settled down some, relieved, and sighed. "Kakashi, I want this boy raised right. And when he becomes a ninja, he gets everything that you didn't."

"Okay, Yondaime-sama. It will be taken care of…"

With that, the Yondaime entered the sealing room. He took brushes, pots, and a decorated knife out of a cupboard in the corner. He set the tools on a table next to the sealing platform, which was basically another, more decorated, table. He shallowly cut his arm, and held his arm over one pot, so that the blood would drip in. He screwed his face up in thought, and dripped some in to a second jar. He picked up a brush, dipped it into his own blood, and painted a spiraling seal over the child's naval. He elegantly extended the seal, and anyone could see that he was an expert. He finished the spiral, and painted more on the outside of the spiral.

He finished the symbols, and with that the seal. He switched the paintbrush for the knife and gently cut the child's arm. The baby started to cry from the pain. 'Sorry about that Naruto…' He dripped his blood into the second pot. The Hokage mixed the blood with the paintbrush, then began to paint on his chest. He drew another complicated seal, then dipped his brush again. He moved the brush to the child's eyes. He painted two mirrored seals on the sides of his eyes. He began to perform hand seals, three sets in total. Every time he finished a set, a seal shined bright red, then became black, before fading away. He smiled at his good job and Naruto, and lifted the baby in his arms, which stopped his crying.

Kakashi looked up when the Yondaime finally exited the sealing room. Yondaime raised his eyes to Kakashi's, and spoke.

"Goodbye, Kakashi," he said in a quiet tone.

"Farewell, Minato-sensei…" Kakashi was almost in tears now. His last precious person was leaving. He was feeling awful for failing Obito. If he were here, and Rin hadn't disappeared, he would still have people in his life, precious people. He finally started crying, the tears falling down his face. Minato put his hand on Kakashi's shoulder, and gave him a light squeeze. He looked up through his tears to see his sensei, standing with the future savior of Konoha. He gave them a sincere smile, and his tears of sadness and loss turned into tears of joy. He had someone who did care for him, the best friend a human being could ask for, the Yondaime Hokage and greatest ninja of his time, Namikaze Minato, his sensei. Minato smiled back at his old student and friend before ascending the staircase to the roof of the Hokage Tower.

Minato held the baby in the crooks of his arms while he began hand seals. He finished, bit his thumb, then pushed one hand to the roof of the tower. There was a gigantic release of smoke, and a giant toad appeared. Minato tightened his hold on the baby, who had been silent with open eyes during the whole affair, and jumped onto the toad's head.

"So, it's that time, is it?" Gamabunta boomed the question over the shouts of joy from the Konoha (Leaf) ninja fighting the Kyuubi. He surveyed the burning woods and the destroyed houses on the outskirts of Konohagakure (The Village Hidden in the Leaves).

The Yondaime's eyes were burning with passion as he spoke. "Yes, let's go kick the Kyuubi's butt and save Konoha!" Gamabunta couldn't help but feel inspired by Minato's words, however crude they were. Gamabunta nodded slightly and leapt towards the demon kitsune. Minato looked at the child one more time before awkwardly starting hand seals. When they got there, he was nearly done. The Kyuubi turned to the massive chakra concentration he had sensed. His lips curled into a grin at the edges and it lunged at it's prey. Minato jumped into the air as Kyuubi collided with Gamabunta and they grappled. He finished the seals as he descended and shouted the name of his last jutsu.

"Shiiki Fuujin!" There was a bright light, and when it cleared, the Kyuubi was gone, and the Konoha shinobi all saw the Yondaime falling towards Gamabunta. There was a deafening cheer from all of the shinobi on the battlefield as Minato descended. When he collapsed on Gamabunta however, the cheer stopped. The shinobi rushed to Gamabunta to see what had happened to their Hokage. Gamabunta was quiet as he placed the dead Hokage and screaming child on a rock in front of the gathering shinobi. There was a shout as Kakashi saw his teacher. It sunk in that he would never see him again. He started to cry, along with many of the ninja who saw the Yondaime's body.

Gamabunta began to speak. "Namikaze Minato was a great shinobi, Hokage, and hero. He will be forever remembered as the savior of his village." Sarutobi had followed Minato to the battlefield, and picked up the screaming baby. The ninja saw this and began to get angry.

"The Kyuubi child should die!" "That's the reincarnation of the Kyuubi, kill it!" "He's the reason the Yondaime died, we should return the favor!" The shinobi's shouts were getting louder and louder. Sarutobi continued his silent crying as he walked towards the village, completely ignoring the jeers and yells. Out of all the onlookers, only he and Kakashi were respectful. He had reached the inner part of the village and saw the villagers leaving the shelters in jubilation. They, however, heard the angry words spoken by the shinobi, and joined in the verbal assault.

Suddenly, a kunai flew towards the baby. Sarutobi flicked his wrist, but his hidden kunai didn't fall from his sleeve. His eyes widened as he reached his hand out to stop it. He grabbed the kunai a moment before it hit the baby in the head. Blood splattered from his hand, which had a deep cut on the palm from the kunai. All of the following people cheered. Kakashi approached the joyous crowd, finally done with his mourning, to see what was the matter.

"Ha! The demon child is dead!" "We got our revenge on the Kyuubi!" "Thank you, whoever did that!" Kakashi stopped. Dead? The boy was just born! Their hero had died, wishing that Naruto would be a hero. And now these villagers were cheering that he was dead!

"What happened here?" Kakashi asked the nearest villager in a quavering voice.

"The demon child is dead! Some ninja killed it with a kunai!" The villagers were cheering the ninja who killed their Yondaime's legacy! He couldn't take it anymore. He turned and ran to his house, wanting to get drunk, to do anything to rid him of the horrible feeling welling up in his stomach.

Sarutobi sighed his relief at the foiled assassination attempt. He increased his pace, worrying more about the safety of Naruto than the attacker. With his running speed, he made it to the Hokage Tower quickly, and called a team of ANBU to take care of the child. He turned and exited the tower to face the shinobi and villagers who had followed him.

"Citizens of Konohagakure!" The crowd was silent. "I am pleased to inform you that I will be taking the job of Hokage again until we find a suitable replacement!" The crowd applauded him until he began to speak again. "I also wish to tell you that Naruto is still indeed alive!" The crowd was immediately shouting their anger and disapproval. "Please, be quiet! There will be a number of laws about Naruto! The first: Any attempted murder or achieved murder will result in the execution of the murderer or would-be-murderer!" People protested, wanting to kill the Kyuubi-vessel. "The second: Nobody shall speak, write, or otherwise communicate anything about this matter to or around anybody who is too young to remember! The third: There will be no records of this matter except my own! Any records will detail how the Yondaime Hokage gave his life to completely defeat the demon fox!" The malcontent was rising within the ranks of the crowd. "That will be all for now! Remember, all of these laws are punishable by death!"

Sarutobi entered the Hokage Tower, ignoring the cries of "Kill the demon!" and "The Kyuubi should die!" He talked to his secretary, who arranged for Naruto to be cared for by a personal nurse until he was four. Then his care would be transferred to an orphanage. At the age of ten he would be given his own apartment, paid for by Sarutobi himself.

He returned to the room where he left Naruto with the ANBU.

"Good job. Naruto will soon have a personal assistant, so when he does you can leave. However, I want one of you to be with him at all times until he is put into the orphanage." The ANBU all nodded their agreement.

The reinstated Hokage looked down at Naruto with pride in his eyes. He would make sure that he became a ninja, the first day he could enter the academy. 'I can't wait to see what you become Naruto. You will surely shine through the persecution you face, and come out as a great ninja.'

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Woohoo! This ending A/N has no real meaning anymore! In case you were wondering, yes, I've edited this chapter finally. I wrote this back when everybody was all like "Dur, the Yondaime's name is Kazama Arashi (which I personally like better than Namikaze Minato)", including me. But, now it's fixed. My writing is really crude here, it seems to me, but I won't change it. Firstly, I'm way too lazy, and secondly, it's a good reminder of how I wrote when I was a freshman. But yeah, there weren't really any grammatical errors (I kinda skipped about though, so I might have missed one or two). Well, that's all then.

I hope you enjoyed my story!

-Abeo


	2. Kyuubi

The Colors of Nothing and Everything-Chapter 1-Kyuubi

Hey everybody! I'm an idiot! *Edited.* Oh, this chapter will be really talkative, but pretty long. Again, more after the story.

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story.

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs(Original Characters) that I invent.

* * *

"Something"- Normal Speech

'You can't hear me think'- Thoughts

"Something else"- Summon/Other Creatures' Speech

"**Something completely different**"- Kyuubi Speech

* * *

Naruto turned the corner and saw the festival. 'Maybe this year they'll let me go. It is my birthday.' Naruto was really happy this day. He hadn't been attacked by anyone, even though it was his sixth birthday. He cautiously got closer to the festival: no one had stopped him yet. He passed a few streets and finally made it to the first stand. He looked around in wonder. There were so many lights, smells, and colors! Everywhere he turned, there were smiling people, playing games, buying food, even just talking together. Naruto began to run to a game stand. He, of course, picked a ninja game. His dream _was_ to become a ninja, right? And anyways, he could get practice by throwing shuriken at the balloons.

Naruto took out his money, counted some and handed it to the clerk. When the clerk turned around though, he shouted. Immediately, people turned their heads and saw him. Naruto cringed; he could see their eyes. It was always those eyes that made him shake. He saw in them monstrous things, but they always resembled him. Naruto turned and ran, afraid of the villagers and their gazes. The people got angry, and started to chase after him. Naruto turned a corner down a side street, and ran straight down, as fast as he could. He didn't want to see the furry monster with nine tails, or the little furry human with blood all over it. Worst though, he didn't want to see his death, which he had seen in many of the worst villagers' eyes. He turned into an alley and sped off again.

He looked ahead and stopped himself from running into a brick wall.

"No!" He turned around to see the villagers gaining. Most of them had weapons now, and all of them were at the mouth of the alley.

"Hurry, now we can kill the monster!" "That demon killed my family, it's time for revenge!" Many of the same shouts were echoing in the alley as they were six years ago. Naruto whipped his head away and pushed his back against the wall. Why did they see him in that way, as a monster? They always say he killed their families, but he had never killed anyone!

"What did I do?" He said through his tears. "I'm sorry for whatever it was!" The villagers ignored him though, and began to slowly approach.

"**They're talking about me.**" Naruto jumped when he heard the voice, and swung his head around to see the speaker. "**Don't worry kit, it's just me**."

"Who? Who is it?" Naruto shouted, halting the villagers' progress.

"**I'm in your head, idiot. You can think and I'll hear it**."

'Just help me, whoever you are!' He began to cower into the corner as the villagers resumed their steady pace.

"**Kit, do you want to get away from them?**" Naruto frantically nodded. The villagers were moving slower, bickering back and forth about who got to kill him.

"**Okay, we're leaving then.**" Naruto's body was suddenly rigid, and his hands moved into shapes. The villagers noticed this and began to move faster. He panicked, but couldn't move; even his hands had stopped.

Naruto's eyes went dark, then he only saw red. After just a second, the world was back. He fell down, the thing's hold on him gone. He sat up and slowly looked around. He was in a clearing apparently. He could see trees around him; they were big enough to stand on the branches! He turned around and saw a giant pile of rocks. He noticed that there was an opening in the side, so it must have been a cave. He stood up, and turned all the way around, to get a good view of everything. Naruto began to walk toward the cave.

"**Yo, brat.**" Naruto jumped, and then began turning in circles.

"I'm not a brat! Where are you anyways?" Naruto shouted with his hands cupped around his mouth.

"**Oh, smart brat. Maybe you want them to find you again.**" Naruto stopped shouting and sat down.

'Fine then. Wait a second… who are you? Are you a ghost? Am I crazy?' He did a frantic look around the clearing. 'It' sighed.

"**How about we play a game? I'll give you clues, and you guess who I am. 'Kay?**"

'Sure, why not?'

"**Okay, fist clue: I'm a demon. Second clue: I have lots of tails. Third clue: I look like a fox. Can you guess?**"

Naruto raised his hand and began to tap the side of his head. After a while, he heard growls from the demon.

'Nope, I don't have a clue.' The demon started shouting.

"**You insolent brat! I'm the king of demons, Kyuubi! How can you not have heard of me?**"

'I don't know… Well, my name's Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm gonna be a ninja!' Naruto heard a long laugh from his head. 'Hey, I'm serious! I will become a ninja!'

"**Sure, brat. You'll be a ninja when I become a turtle. And that won't ever happen. Ever.**"

"I don't care! I'll become a ninja!"

"**I told you about shouting like that. People will think you're crazy. But since you don't seem to know who I am, let me enlighten you. You know about those four Hokages on the mountain? Well the Yondaime was obviously the strongest, right? Well, he had to die to defeat me.**" Naruto gaped, his mouth dangerously close to the ground.

'But he was really strong! The old man talked about him all the time!'

"**Yeah, but I could stand up to him, and look who died.**"

'Wait… are you sure you're not a ghost?' There was some more laughing in his head.

"**No. Actually, I'm inside you. That god-awful Yondaime sealed me in here.**" Naruto quivered, then started twitching.

"What do you mean 'in me'?! Get out of me! You're the reason why they hate me, aren't you?! Get out!" Naruto began to hit his head, desperate to force the demon out.

"**I'm not in your head, baka! Check out your stomach.**" Naruto transferred his blows to his stomach, and soon a bruise began to form. "**Okay, kit, you can stop. You're just hurting yourself**." Naruto listened and stopped, his anger had cooled down enough to. The bruise began to disappear, and a black seal appeared on his stomach. The seal began to glow red, so Naruto started attacking again.

"What are you doing!?"

"**Jeez, you over-react. That's the seal that your _Hokage_**," Kyuubi spat out his title, "**Put on you to contain me. It probably only reacts to chakra.**" Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself.

'Is there anyway I can see you?'

"**Good, you're thinking again. Yes, just close your eyes and say when.**"

Naruto close his eyes and steeled himself for any pain. "When." Naruto spoke, and everything went black.

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Naruto woke up to a steady dripping sound. He stood up in whatever substance he was in. It looked like really dark water, but it wasn't… wet, in a sense. He didn't know why, but he couldn't feel it. He jumped around and splashed in the water. It flew around in the air, but he still couldn't feel it when he saw it touch him. He stopped jumping and began to look around. He saw that he was in a giant rectangular tunnel with pipes crisscrossing the ceiling. He noticed a red light coming from one of the branches of the tunnel he was in. He decided to follow it, so he started walking. He walked for a while, until he could see the end of the tunnel with the soft red glow. The tunnel opened up into a gigantic room. Naruto could see a cage built into the opposite wall, with a small piece of paper on it. As he got closer to the cage he could see that it had the kanji for the word seal on it. Suddenly a giant eye opened behind the cage.

"Ahh!" Naruto screamed as he jumped back from the cage and landed on his butt. The other eye opened, and now he could almost make out the face. "You! You're why their eyes are like that! They hate me because of you!" Kyuubi was genuinely puzzled, and his face showed it.

"**'Why their eyes are like that'? What do you mean by that?**" Naruto shook his head, still angry.

"You don't understand! I see a mix of you and me when I look into people's eyes. The only people that actually see me for who I am are the old man and the Ichiraku family! Nobody else sees me. It's always some evil-looking creature, or just you!" Kyuubi was silent for a moment while Naruto gained his breath back.

'Hmm... It seems his... Hokage gave him _that_ doujutsu. It might actually be worth it to train the kid.' He began to think of the best way to make Naruto eager, willing to become strong.

"**Then you'll just have to make them see you. Make your own personality, persona, a dream. Make everyone see you as who you are. Burn brightly with that dream, and keep it burning forever, even after you die!**" Naruto pondered this. The demon had hit him dead on with his challenge. He had no idea how to achieve his dream though. How could he get people to remember him as Naruto, even after he died? He began to smile and slowly stood up.

"Kyuubi, I will surely be remembered as Ryuusei Naruto, Konoha's greatest Hokage ever!" Kyuubi smiled from the shadows of his cage. He sincerely hoped that Naruto would achieve his dream; six years in a cage mellowed you out, and Naruto impressed him. But he wasn't about to admit it.

"**You as Hokage? That's almost funny! They couldn't have a weak-ass ninja like you running their village. You'll never be Hokage!**"

"Oh yeah?" Naruto's eyes were burning with passion. "I'll show you! And when I'm getting inducted as the new Hokage, I'll laugh at you!"

"**Whatever, brat.**" Kyuubi dropped his smile. "**Now, we'll begin your training.**"

"What?" Naruto's alarm bells were ringing. "What training? Where? Why are you training me?!"

"**Hey, shut up already! I'm doing this so you don't get hunted down by shinobi, especially those angry Konoha shinobi who find the 'demon' that killed their families! I want to have a strong, feared container. Not one that beats himself up.**"

"Okay! This will make me stronger than any Hokage ever! Where are we training? When do we start? What will we be doing?"

"**You are a talkative brat for a six-year-old. Now, we'll be training right where I put you with my demi-jutsu. We'll start tomorrow, and you'll find out what we're doing then.**"

"Well, what's a demi-jutsu?"

"**Well, there are beings that are half-god and half-human. They're called demi-gods. Then there are half-demon, half-human creatures called demi-demons, better known as hanyous. These hanyou and demi-gods can do demi-jutsu. These are just demons' and gods' powers converted into jutsu form though. With me inside you, you are a demi-demon, or hanyou.**"

"Okay…what's a jutsu?" Kyuubi actually sweat dropped at his question.

"**You want to be Hokage, but you don't know what a jutsu is? You really amuse me kit.**" Naruto was just about to shout at the stupid fox demon when a blinding flash came from the cage. When Naruto could see again, there was a young man standing in the cage. He had black hair, which was long past his neck, a normal red kimono on, and for some reason a sword with nine rope tassels sheathed on his back.

"Hey! You don't want to be in there right now! There's a monster!" The man was instantly on the ground laughing.

Once his laughter finally died down, he began to speak. "It's me, Kyuubi!"

"What happened to you old-man-Kyuubi?" The young man stood up and turned his eyes to Naruto's.

"I took the form of a twenty-five-year-old human, kit. How on earth do you consider this old?"

Naruto wasn't responding though. He had seen Kyuubi's eyes. "You…you actually see me!"

"What?" Kyuubi was confused and showing it.

"Your eyes…" Naruto began to cry. "There are only three other people I've ever met who see me like that." Kyuubi remembered then. Naruto slowed down and stopped crying, instead settling for sniffles. "Thank you… so very much…" Kyuubi nodded and formed a seal.

"Are you ready to begin your training Naruto?" Naruto wiped his eyes quickly, and raised them to Kyuubi's once again.

"Yeah, let's train!"

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Woohoo!!! Again!!! *Edit.* This chapter I actually did edit some stuff out of. The whole Jesus bit was a bit tasteless (or tasteless bit, if you think like me) on my part. At the time I thought it would be good, but a few people were offended. Sorry to all of them. Well, yeah. That's about it.

-Abeo


	3. Chapter 2 Back to Konoha

The Colors of Nothing and Everything-Chapter 2-Back to Konoha

I'm really disappointed in you guys... nobody told me what they wanted with the whole Naruto training situation! So, I'll skip it, and just do flashbacks to anything important. I'm going to see if I can leave to the IMC to type during study hall at school... that way I wouldn't have to type so frantically, and have more personal time. So, once again, there'll be more at the bottom, so enjoy the story!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I do not own Mortal Kombat, Midway games, or anything affiliated with them, excluding a copy of Mortal Kombat Armageddon for the Xbox console. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story.

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs(Original Characters) that I invent

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"Something new."- Normal Speech

'What kind of ramen should I get?'- Thoughts

"**I'm a demon!**"- Kyuubi Speech

"Why can we talk, anyways?"- Summon/ Human-ized Kyuubi Speech

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sarutobi knew he was getting old. He felt it every day when he woke up, and every time he trained, which he still did. He sighed, again. Every day he sighed when he thought about Naruto. Nearly four years ago, poof, he disappeared. They still hadn't found him, but by now it would probably be too late. Sarutobi sat down at his desk, ready for his paperwork. Even if he was known as the Professor for his jutsu, paperwork was still a pain.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------'The guard duty for the North Gate is the easiest, they said. Nobody ever comes through that gate, they said. Well, this guy takes the cake for being annoying, and guess which gate he chooses to enter!' The Chuunin who was guarding the North Gate was very frustrated. This boy, who couldn't even be ten yet, was trying to enter Konoha alone, and with no id. The kid was also dressed very strangely. He wore a long white robe with button-like clasps along the length. The cloak was also colored with a black pattern that wound around the whole thing in a strange pattern. (A/N: Imagine the Yondaime's robe thingy, but with clasps, like at his collar, all down the opening. It also has a black pattern and the kanji for 'Gray' on the back, but the Chuunin can't see it now.) The Chuunin noted that it was suitable for running, because the bottom, from the mid-thigh down, was clasp-less, and he could see his baggy black pants underneath. The boy also wore a super-wide-brimmed hat that slanted down on all sides to protect his face, also black, but with the edge and the inside white. (A/N: Now, imagine an Akatsuki hat, just with the above-mentioned coloring.) The Chuunin shifted his toothpick in his mouth and sighed. He couldn't even see the kid's face, and he wanted to get in! They'd been at a standstill for 5 minutes already!

"Okay kid, where's your id? This is the last time I'm asking." The kid just tilted his head and responded quietly.

"I don't have an id. Can't you just let me in already?" The Chuunin could hear the frustration in his voice.

'At least I'm not the only one exasperated… I'll just get a Chuunin to the him to the Hokage… yeah, that sounds good.'

"Well, can I at least see your face, for identification purposes?" The kid in front of him sighed, and nodded his head.

"Okay, I'll take off my hat then." The boy reached up and simply pushed his hat back, where it was held to his back by a cord around his neck. The Chuunin sweat dropped. The boy's face was almost completely covered. He was wearing a black head band, a black ninja mask like that one Jounin… Kakashi was his name. He was also wearing a pair of quite stylish sunglasses, with orange tinted lenses.

"Umm… can you take all of your other stuff off too? It's sort of hard to see your face." The boy sighed and untied his headband, showing a slightly pale forehead, and put it into a pocket somewhere within the mysterious confines of his robe. Next, he pulled down his mask, showing even more pale skin. Lastly, he took off his sunglasses and put them in his pocket, somewhere under his robe again. The Chuunin looked over the boys' features. He had black hair, long and slightly spiked, reaching about to his shoulders. His eyes were bright blue, and stood out in a shocking contrast to the rest of his face, which was pale. His face was pretty normal, nothing that would be very noticeable, except for the colors. The Chuunin turned around and pressed a button on the inside of the doorframe of the guardhouse. In just a second, another Chuunin had appeared, probably in response to some kind of signal. The male Chuunin shifted his toothpick around again, and spoke.

"Hey, this little boy wants to get in, but he doesn't have any identification material. Can you just take him to the Hokage, so he can get cleared?" The second Chuunin, a female with long black hair and startling red eyes, nodded and turned around.

'Ahh, that Kurenai is so secretive. I wonder why…', the male Chuunin thought while shifting his toothpick once again. Genma watched as the boy began to follow the moving Kurenai, heading towards the Hokage Tower. He noticed that the boy was once again wearing his face gear, and was now putting the hat on his head again. He was ready to meet the Hokage.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Sandaime sighed. Dang, that was the second time today he thought about Naruto. It only made sense, since tomorrow would be his birthday. A buzzer went off on his desk. He pushed a button on the intercom, and a voice told him that he had visitors.

"Send them in." The doors opened and a female Chuunin entered, with a little boy trailing her. The Chuunin saluted to the Hokage, then bowed.

"Thank you Kurenai, but there is no need to be so formal. You may leave now." Sarutobi said. Kurenai nodded, and turned around to leave.

"Thank you Kurenai-san." Kurenai was surprised to see the little boy bowing his head to her. She quickly dipped her head in response, then left the room. When the doors closed, the Sandaime leveled his eyes at the child's head. The boy quickly took off his hat at his gaze.

"Oho! Dressing like a ninja! Would you be so kind as to take your ninja gear off?" The boy quickly removed his sunglasses, then pulled his mask down again. 'Hmm… he's probably from the north, maybe Snow Country.'

"So, could you answer some questions for me? I would like to start with this; are you from Snow Country?" The little boy nodded his head.

"So, what is your name?"

"My name," The boy began, "is Ryuusei Naruto." Sarutobi felt the coldness of the situation. One day before the four year anniversary of Naruto's leaving, a new Naruto comes. He looked at his desk, then spoke.

"I used to know a Naruto once. He was the kindest, cutest, and most misunderstood child in this village. Sadly, almost four years ago, he disappeared, and we haven't heard of him since…"

"I would have liked to meet him." Sarutobi looked up at Naruto's eyes. The boys face brightened up the second their eyes made contact.

'What could have made him so happy in such a short time? His voice had sincerely been sorrowful, but now he seems so elated.' "Well, how old are you?"

"I'm nine years old."

"So, Naruto, do you have a clan, or family that you might have been separated from?" Naruto's face darkened again.

"No, I've never had a clan, or a family. I traveled here alone." Sarutobi was shocked. A young boy, only nine years old, had come here from Snow?

"Honestly? A journey from Snow Country, an island nation, would take a long while, and would be very hard for such a young boy."

Naruto nodded. "It was," he began," but I made it here fine."

"Okay, if you say so. By the way, what are you here in Konoha for, hmm?"

"Umm…"Naruto blushed slightly, his skin turning a light red. "I want to be a Konoha ninja!" He blurted out. Sarutobi laughed, and Naruto blushed again at his outburst.

When the Sandaime finished his laugh, he looked back at Naruto. "Well, I guess that that makes sense. However, you have to train for six years to be a ninja."

Naruto smiled, the first one that Sarutobi saw. "I've been training for about four years already. Look at this!" Naruto looked straight at Sarutobi with confidence. He twitched his hand, then held it up for Sarutobi to see. The Sandaime looked at his hand, then to his face, then back to his hand.

He raised an eyebrow and said, "What?"

Naruto looked at his empty hand and blushed in embarrassment again. He twitched his hand again, then wiggled it around, before shaking his arm frantically. Finally, a kunai fell to the floor with a dull 'clunk'. Sarutobi sweat dropped, while Naruto hastily scrambled to put the kunai back in his sleeve.

"Umm… that worked the last time I tried it… So, can I be a ninja?"

"If you can finish these forms," Sarutobi opened a drawer and gave Naruto a stack of papers, "find a suitable home," he then pulled out a magazine titled A Guide to Konoha ,"and finish my questionnaire." Naruto sat his pile of papers on the guidebook, which was on Sarutobi's desk, and stood at attention.

"As long as I get to be a ninja!" He was smiling again, Sarutobi noted.

"Well, then, let's continue. What was your surname again?"

"Well, I don't know my real one, but I made mine Ryuusei."

'Shooting star? What an interesting name.' "Well, you said you have been trained for four years. I'm guessing that we can jumpstart you in the Ninja Academy, but we need to know: who trained you?" Sarutobi asked.

"Well, I don't know his name," Naruto began somberly, "but he was very strong! We trained in Snow a lot, and we were in Iwa training for a while, too." Sarutobi nodded his acknowledgement, even though the man was probably a normal ninja by shinobi standards.

"So…well… I guess we're done now. You are going to have to find and apartment first thing. After that, you can complete your papers and turn them in here at the Hokage Tower. Konoha will pay for groceries until you can make your own money as a genin, and we will also pay for your apartment." Sarutobi smiled as he dismissed Naruto. "Goodbye Naruto, and good luck on your search. Any thing else you'll need, my secretary will have for you."

"Goodbye, Hokage-sama." Naruto pulled his mask up and put on his sunglasses. He flipped his hat onto his head, then picked up the guidebook and his papers. He excited the room, got some money from the secretary, then left for his search.

Sarutobi stroked his gray beard. 'This child sure is a strange one. He acts almost as if he is on equal terms with me. I wonder… what will become of this Ryuusei Naruto?'

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Woohoo!!!(I'm 'gonna make it a habit to do that from now on) Well, I'm done with this chapter. It was also shorter than I expected. I cut some of it out, so that should explain it. Really though, I was expecting some sort of interaction, but I guess not… Oh well. I was a little bit distracted from writing for a while because of Mortal Kombat Armageddon. If you haven't bought the game, you should! I decided to put it into my disclaimer, just to be safe. It's fighter creation mode is awesome, and you can design a character from other things too. I've seen Final Fantasy characters, people from other fighting games, and even Gandhi. I enjoy your O.J.-like reviews, so keep reviewing!

-Alexander Abeo


	4. Chapter 3 The Academy

The Colors of Nothing and Everything-Chapter 3-The Academy

Yay! I got quite a few reviews(like 7) for Chapter one, and then only three for Chapter two, so I'm guessing that you guys don't like conversation chapters. I'll make sure to keep those out of my story, in exchange for more plot stuff. Even though, chapter one had a lot of talking too, yet also had some movement. Oh well, here's Chapter three!

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Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story.

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs(Original Characters) that I invent.

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"Something new."- Normal Speech

'What kind of ramen should I get?'- Thoughts

"**I'm a demon!**"- Kyuubi Speech

"Why can we talk, anyways?"- Summon/ Human-ized Kyuubi Speech

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Naruto could feel himself trembling. It had been a long time since he was this excited. He couldn't wait to see the village, live by himself, and meet all sorts of people to play with. He really wanted some friends, and he would need some to show him around the Ninja Academy. First though, he would need to find a house. Maybe if he looked cute enough, he could get one cheap, a good one that he could live in.

"**No, you're not cute enough. You are going to need to do it yourself, no adorable-ness used.**"

'Just shut up, you stupid fox! I bet that I don't need to look adorable to get an apartment, just wait and see.' Naruto's smile dropped, but he continued walking. 'So, what should I do now…' As Naruto said this, he walked past a familiar restaurant. 'Ichiraku! Let's go there!' Naruto began running towards the Ichiraku ramen restaurant, his favorite since the first time he ate there. Not once during his years of travel did he find a ramen place as good as Konoha's Ichiraku. He reached the front and ducked under the banners.

"Hello, Ichiraku-san!" The man behind the counter gave him a smile and waved his hand.

"Ohayo, customer! What would you like to eat?" Naruto sat on one of the stools and pondered with his hand on his chin. He suddenly grinned and pointed.

"I know! I'll have three chicken flavored ramen, two beef flavored ramen, and three shrimp ramen!"

Teuchi deadpanned. "Seriously?" He asked with no emotion showing. Naruto nodded rapidly. "Ayame! We have an order of three chicken, two beef, and three shrimp!" There was a crash in the back, which was curtained off. A voice came from behind.

"Seriously?" Teuchi made a thumbs-up and stuck it through the curtained doorway.

Naruto was now trembling even more. He only had ramen twice a year, and he hadn't had any this year yet. He pulled off his hat and set it on the stool next to him. The he pulled down his mask, ready to eat. Ayame finally finished the chicken ramen and gave it to Teuchi, who served it to Naruto. Naruto's eyes lit up at the sight of real ramen.

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto began to eat the ramen at a ferocious pace. Teuchi could only stare in wonder at the ramen-eating boy. Ayame finished the beef ramen right before Naruto finished his first course. Teuchi quickly set the bowls in front of Naruto; he didn't want to lose his fingers to the ramen eating machine.

"Thank you!" Naruto said, then began his extremely fast paced eating. This time he finished before Ayame could bring the food. This time she served it herself, since she was done with her cooking. Naruto began to eat again, just as fast as before. Ayame sweat dropped at the boy's awful eating manners. When he was finished, Teuchi silently handed him the bill.

'Oh man, the old man's money was supposed to last 'till tomorrow!'

"**Bwahahahahahaha! You're a bright one, aren't you!**"

Naruto handed him the money, then hung his hat on his neck. He repositioned his facial attires, then sighed at all the lost money. He decided to head over to the residential area of Konoha. He pulled out A Guide to Konoha and began to page through in the apartment section. He left, ready to find his own apartment.

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Naruto was feeling pretty good as he walked into the Hokage Tower. In less than two hours he had found an apartment, ate lunch, and finished his paperwork. He began to walk up a staircase.

'Told you, you stupid fox!'

"**Whatever kit, whatever…**"

He finished climbing the long staircase and waved to the Sandaime's secretary. She buzzed him in, so he entered the room. Sarutobi put something orange into his desk drawer and closed it.

"Ahh, Naruto, glad to see you're back. Any problems?" Sarutobi calmly asked.

"No, there weren't any. But umm… can I have more money please?" The Hokage leveled his gaze at the boy's eyes.

'Hmm… again, he brightens up like a bulb… What did I do to do that?' Sarutobi spoke out loud, "So, what did you spend the money on? I remember giving you enough to last a while."

Naruto scratched his head in embarrassment. "Well, I sort of spent it on… food." Sarutobi sweatdropped.

"I think we could give you some more money. Now, about the apartment. What did you find?" Naruto wordlessly handed him a packet of papers. The Sandaime pulled out the first paper and gasped. The apartment had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two floors, a kitchen, dining room, and a living room. There was no way a nine-year-old child was going to live here by himself!

Naruto burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! I wish you could see the look on your face! Just kidding though. My apartment is under there." Sarutobi crumpled the paper and threw it into his wastebasket. The next apartment looked fine. It was relatively cheap, simple, and suitable for a bachelor shinobi life.

"Let's go with this one Naruto. I'll secure it right now." Sarutobi paged his secretary, who quickly called and set up a deal for Naruto's apartment. "Okay Naruto, you can stay there tonight. The landlord already has a couch, table set, and a bed there, so you should be just fine for now. Also, some genin will deliver groceries later, and probably bring in more furniture in a few days." Naruto was beaming now.

"Thanks a lot! Oh yeah, here are those papers you wanted me to finish. Can I start soon?" Sarutobi opened the packet and chuckled when he saw all of the papers filled in.

"Yes, young man, I think you can start tomorrow."

"Woohoo!" Naruto jumped and pumped his fist into the air. "Thank you Hokage-sama!" Sarutobi couldn't help but think that it sounded strange to hear that honorific from such a young child.

"Well, Naruto, you'd better get some rest for tomorrow. Training at the Ninja Academy gets pretty tough from what I hear." Naruto's head bobbed up and down lightning fast. "Okay," Sarutobi spoke again, "you can go get dinner and go to sleep now."

"Okay!" Naruto bolted from the room, grabbed an envelope from the Sandaime's secretary, and made a dash for his new apartment. When he got there, he ran up the stairs, which were on the outside of the building, and pulled a key out from the envelope. He stuck it in the keyhole, twisted it, and turned the knob. The door didn't budge. He pulled the key out, put it in again, and tried again. He tried unsuccessfully two more time, then began kicking the door.

"Why won't you open!?" He panted a little bit, and straightened up when he heard somebody moving behind the door. The door slowly opened to reveal an old man with long white hair, and strange, robe-like clothing. Naruto looked at the magazine that the man held in his right hand.

"Ahh! You're a pervert!" Naruto turned and ran further up the stairs, checking every door, desperate to get away from the old, perverted, and now angry old man who was chasing him. He found the right door, the fourth up, and jumped inside before locking it. The old man pounded on the door before turning around leaving. He sighed and collapsed on his couch, where he sat looking out the window. When it began to turn dusk, he got up, walked to his bedroom, and collapsed on his bed.

"**Good idea kit. Extra rest is good, even though they can't be worse than me.**" Naruto grunted and flipped over.

'Of course not. For them, that would be considered torture.' Kyuubi laughed in his head.

"**I guess it could be. Good luck tomorrow.**"

'You know luck doesn't help. Good night Kyuubi.'

"**Good night kit.**"

Naruto stayed awake for a little bit longer, then fell asleep.

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Naruto sat up in bed and looked around. He noted that he had gone to sleep in his robe. He left his bedroom and walked to the bathroom. He grabbed a suitcase that had all of his clothes and sanitary items on the way. He got into the shower and spent about ten minutes in it. He toweled himself off. He picked out some clothes to put on: black, baggy ninja pants, black shoes with red Konoha spirals (which he had just picked up the day before), a long sleeved white shirt with a red t-shirt underneath, and his headband. He decided to save the other gear for training and missions, which wouldn't be coming for a while now. He brushed his teeth, flossed, combed his hair, then put his outfit on. He stepped out into the hallway and picked up the other bag, a backpack. It had some kunai, shuriken, rope, and other things useful for his training. He opened his door and ran down the stairs. He jumped off the side before he got to the old pervert's door though. From there, he ran in the direction of the Ninja Academy. He looked at his watch while he was jogging.

'Oh no! I can't be late on the first day!' was his thought as he increased his pace. He ran down the streets to the academy, making a dust cloud behind him. He saw the doors approaching and slowed down his speed. He ran right through the opened doors and came to a sudden stop in front of some loitering academy students.

"Do you guys know where Umino Iruka-sensei's room is?" He asked. All of the students pointed down the hallway to the right of the entrance. He quickly bowed in thanks, then quickly walked down the hall. He came to a door labeled 'U. Iruka' and entered right as the bell rang.

"Okay class, the bell rang, so quiet down!" Iruka turned and saw Naruto standing in front of the door. "Oh, you must be the new student I was told about. R. Naruto, right?" Naruto nodded his head and walked closer to the teacher.

"Hello. I'm sort of new here, so please excuse m lateness." Naruto made a quick bow to Iruka, who nodded his head.

"Okay. Everybody, this is Ryuusei Naruto, your new classmate. He has only been living in Konoha for two days now, so he'll need someone to show him around. Maybe after school today you can talk to him." Most of the class was uninterested, but a few were curious. Naruto could see them now; a chubby, brown-haired kid was looking at him, and the sleepy kid right next to the chubby boy was staring at him. There was a boy with black hair and dark eyes that apparently had a stick shoved where the sun don't shine. He saw a boy with a regular hoodie on, and a little puppy underneath the hood. He couldn't tell, but it seemed like a kid with sunglasses and a high-collared jacket on was looking at him too. He looked around and saw that the only seats available were the ones next to the sleepy looking kid and a girl with pink hair. He decided to sit next to the sleepy kid. He walked up the steps and took his seat in the aisle next to the boy.

"Hi, my name is Naruto. What's yours?" The sleepy boy turned his head, which was on his arms, and looked at Naruto.

"I'm Shikamaru. Next to me is Chouji." He lifted his head, put it next to Naruto's and whispered, "Don't comment about his weight. He's really sensitive." Naruto nodded and leaned forward.

"Hi, I'm Naruto. Your name is Chouji, right?" Chouji nodded his head.

"Yeah, I'm Chouji. It's nice to meet you." Naruto was impressed by his manners. They quickly agreed to eat lunch together, then turned back to Iruka to listen to his lecture.

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Sorry about the really long wait! I really got caught up in stuff, but it won't happen again. So, next chapter will be more academy and stuff, and then there will be some time skips, 'cause I want to get to them being genin. Remember, everybody is ten, so some people look just a little bit different. Like Kiba having a puppy, instead of normal dog sized Akamaru, because I heard somewhere that Akamaru is only three. So yeah. Again, I'm really sorry about the long wait! Hmm… what level should I make Naruto I wonder? Oh, well, I hope you enjoyed this long-ish chapter, even though it didn't have much action or anything.

-Alexander Abeo


	5. Chapter 4 Year One

-1The Colors of Nothing and Everything-Chapter 4-Year One

I'm really sorry! It's been forever since I last updated, but I've got a good excuse! I was out of state visiting my mother, and didn't have a computer that was fit for anything to do with typing/posting my fiction. I'm really really really really really sorry again!

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Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story.

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs(Original Characters) that I invent.

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"Sorry!"- Normal Speech

'I hope that they believed my excuse, because it was legitimate.'- Thoughts

"**Shukaku is pitiful compared to me!**"- Kyuubi Speech

"You know what? We should stop talking! Imagine how frustrated everyone would be with us!"- Summon/ Human-ized Kyuubi Speech

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Naruto walked into the academy on his second day. He looked around the room and saw only four other people there. Shikamaru and Chouji had told him everyone's names, so he had a good idea of who was there early with him.

'Hmm… that's Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, and… who is that guy?'

"**That human is Aburame Shino. You should be careful around him. He seems… stronger than the others in a way, almost like that Sasuke.**"

Naruto rolled his eyes. 'Every time somebody is too quiet, you tell me to be cautious. They just aren't social!' He heard Kyuubi snort.

"**I know from experience kit. The quiet ones are always the sneakiest, and they'll surprise you unless you're careful.**"

'Whatever fox.' Naruto approached the aisle and moved up to his, Shikamaru's, and Chouji's regular seats. They had become pretty good acquaintances yesterday, and he hoped to become friends with them soon. He sat down and watched as Sakura and Ino pestered the quiet Uchiha, who was probably imagining their untimely death while brooding. He looked at Shino, who was staring at his hand, which was cupped on his desk. He looked around the room once more and saw nothing interesting.

'I hope that Shikamaru and Chouji get here soon. It's really boring without them.' As he thought, Iruka entered the room and set up at his desk. Naruto stood and approached the Chuunin teacher.

"Good morning Iruka-sensei," he said while smiling slightly. Iruka looked up and gave him a small grin in return.

"Good morning to you too Naruto. Are you getting settled in well? It's difficult to get used to new people, but you should do it quite nicely, I should think."

"Yes, I'm doing fine. Will we be doing the physical training today?" Iruka nodded his head.

"Yes Naruto, Mizuki is here today, so there will be training." Naruto smiled even wider. He couldn't wait to see how strong he was compared to everybody else.

"Thanks, that's all I wanted to ask!" Iruka nodded his head again, then went back to grading exams on his desk. Naruto turned and walked back up to his seats. He noticed that two more people were in the room: Chouji and Yatchu. He had heard about Yatchu from Chouji and Shikamaru the day before. The boy had a tragic past, starting at birth. He was the 'taboo' child of a Hyuuga and an Uchiha. Only a few months after he was born, his parents died defending Konoha from the Kyuubi. Neither of the clans wanted him, so he was raised in an orphanage. He had been looked down upon by many of the members of both clans, and had set out to make his name by pranking people. He even changed his surname from Hyuuga to Kanata. Still, he was only known as the 'taboo child' or 'the prank kid'. Really, it was tragic, and reminded him of his history, but with slight changes. He sat down next to Chouji and greeted him.

"Hello Chouji," he said energetically. Chouji put his bag of chips away and turned to face him.

"Hey Naruto. How are you liking Konoha?"

"It's just fine, thanks. I really like the scenery though, especially from my apartment." Chouji nodded and then smiled.

"You never told us that your birthday was yesterday! Iruka-sensei told Shikamaru and me about it, so I got you a gift." Naruto smiled slowly and carefully.

"I totally forgot in the excitement!" He knew that it was a lie, but he didn't want to celebrate anything on that day. Chouji rummaged in his book bag and pulled out a box wrapped in orange and green paper.

"Here you go Naruto." Chouji handed him the present, and watched expectantly as he opened it. Naruto slowly unwrapped the gift, making sure not to rip the paper, then opened the box. Inside was a whole set of ten shuriken with a whetstone to sharpen them. Naruto's eyes sparkled at the imaginative gift, and he took them out of the box before thanking Chouji.

"Thanks you! These will be great for practice, and I'll be able to use them once I'm a Genin!" Chouji grinned and gave him a 'you're welcome'. The bell suddenly rang, startling both of them. They turned to the front of the room to see Shikamaru walking up the aisle and the rest of the students moving to their seats.

"Hey Shikamaru." Shikamaru waved with one hand while stifling a yawn with his other. He got up to their seats, sat down, and promptly fell asleep. Naruto began laughing quietly, and Chouji just widened his grin at his best friend's actions. Naruto sat back in his chair, already devising a way to get more productive stuff done during Iruka's lectures. He waited for the afternoon training session, burning with anticipation.

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Naruto stood at the end of Iruka's lesson on the proper and safe use of explosive tags, along with their history. At twelve o'clock, in a break during the lecture they had lunch, so he was ready for training. Chouji was trying to wake up Shikamaru, and everyone else was leaving to the hallway. Naruto passed his new friends and followed them out of the room. The group walked down the hallway and eventually came to a door Naruto entered with almost everyone else in the class, and found himself outside of the academy. He saw training posts, kunai and shuriken targets, and even a swing farther away. He looked around with eagerness, trying to see Mizuki, but he couldn't find a trace of the man. With a poof of smoke, he appeared right in front of the group. Naruto noted that many people had jumped, and both Sakura and Ino had even yelped. Mizuki was quite similar to Iruka, except that he had a longer face and white, nearly blue-ish hair. They both wore the same Chuunin vests, and Mizuki's clothes were almost replicas of Iruka's. Iruka quickly ran up to the training teacher and started a quieted conversation. Naruto eyed Naruto for a bit, then shook his head. Iruka mumbled and nodded, then turned around and walked away. As he walked by, he gave Naruto a sympathetic look, bordering on worry. When he was back inside the building, Mizuki began to speak to the whole class, now that Shikamaru and Chouji had caught up.

"I heard we have a new student! Ryuusei Naruto, eh? Well, welcome to class training. We mainly practice with kunai or shuriken, taijutsu styles, jutsu, or weight lifting and physical training. Sometimes we'll spar also. I like to keep it new, so we hardly ever do the same thing two times in a row. Today, we'll be weight lifting, so follow me to the dojo." Naruto was happy that the man had finished his explanation, and couldn't wait to lift weights. He followed the man, along with the rest of the class, to a door, which led into a large dojo. He waited while Mizuki opened up a side door that opened into a closet. Inside were dozens of types and sizes of weights. There were some that went to lifting machines and some for personal use.

"Okay, go ahead and start!"

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Shikamaru hated training 'class'. He just picked small, light weights while lifting weights, lost on purpose when they sparred, just sat 'gathering chakra' during jutsu practice, and only had to practice taijutsu and throw his shuriken, since he didn't have excuses for those sessions. He grabbed two ten pound weights, extremely light for anybody, and moved to the corner of the room to 'lift'. He watched as Sasuke worked on the bench, pressing more than 100 pounds. He picked out Naruto, who was only lifting sixty pounds, thirty in each hand, in arm curls.

'Come on, Naruto seems to be the type to lift more than Sasuke. He's got to be warming up still.' Throughout the afternoon, he watched as Naruto stayed at his small sixty pounds, only lifting a little more than Sakura, who lifted only a little more than himself. Once they were back in the classroom, he saw Naruto, sweaty and tired-looking, and approached him.

"Hey, Naruto, how did you like your first day of training?"

Naruto frowned and answered, "It didn't go very well. I'm going to have to train more by myself so that I can catch up to you guys." Shikamaru nodded and pulled a gift bag out of his book bag.

"I'm sure Chouji already explained everything, so happy birthday." Naruto smiled and took the gift, then began to open it. He just shoved the tissue paper aside, and pulled out his gifts, a sports watch and an alarm clock. "I thought that you could use those, since you always seem so focused on being on time." He watched as Naruto pulled off his ratty and rather cheap watch and put on his new one.

"Thank you! I really needed a new watch, and an alarm clock should let me wake up at the right time, obviously." He took a look at his old watch quickly, since his new watch wasn't set to the right time, and smiled sheepishly. "I've got to go now. I'll see you tomorrow, so later!" Shikamaru watched as Naruto turned and walked away, apparently in a hurry.

"See you later, Naruto." He picked up his bag of supplies and walked to his home, still thinking about his new friend.

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Throughout the year, Shikamaru noticed, along with the Academy teachers and Chouji, Naruto's progress. No longer was he sweaty after training, and he caught up rather quickly in Iruka's classes. However, he also noted that Naruto always left school almost the instant it was over, but he almost never saw him in the streets. His, Chouji's, and Naruto's friendship developed, and now they were commonly seen together. Naruto was also one of the first to break through Shino's exterior, and sometimes they would be seen talking early in the morning, and sometimes during lunch. Naruto learned all about the Nara and Akamichi clans and their methods of fighting. Shikamaru was proud that he seemed a natural at shadow jutsu, learning the _Kagemane no Jutsu _(Shadow Imitation Jutsu) at ten years old. He had yet to master the technique, but he was still ahead of the game. Almost all of the other students accepted Naruto, albeit not very openly. There were no declarations of friendship, but nobody hated him either. Sasuke, however, still ignored him and stayed focused on his schoolwork and training. Apparently, so did Naruto, as each time Shikamaru asked what his hobby was, he got training as an answer.

Actually, this inspired both Shikamaru and Chouji: they now trained extra hard, more often. Shikamaru got compliments from the teachers at the academy, stemming from all of the effort that he now put into his work. Chouji trained more, impressing his father, and developed variations on his fighting style. Since he had learned two of his clan's signature jutsu, the _Baika no Jutsu _(Multi-size Jutsu) and the _Bubun Baika no Jutsu _(Partial Multi-size Jutsu), he could enlarge his limbs and body to attack. He still didn't use the combat style very often though, because he still couldn't control his clan's jutsu very well.

Chouji, Shikamaru, and Shino prepared for Naruto's birthday party now, three-hundred and sixty-two days after he entered the Academy. The day before his birthday, Naruto initiated a strange conversation with his closest friends, Shikamaru and Chouji.

"Hello," he spoke as he sat down beside them in Iruka's classroom. "If we're going to celebrate my birthday tomorrow, why not go to Ichiraku's?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Almost every time they spent time with Naruto, he would take them to the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

"Whatever, I can't think of anywhere better to eat. It'd be troublesome to have to pay for an expensive meal anyways." Chouji simply nodded. He thought that anywhere would be good, as long as Naruto chose.

"Oh yeah, Shino's coming too, just so you know." Shikamaru nodded, frantic to start his in-class nap. He rested his head on his arms, and drifted into the beautiful abyss of dreams.

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Naruto's birthday passed by without much commotion. They had it at Ichiraku's, and the man seemed happy for the money he got out of it. Once they had finished eating, Naruto opened his gifts. He ended up getting a really nice facemask from Shikamaru, coupled with a pair of scrolls. Chouji got him a new pair of sandals and socks for his shoes. Shino got him a new pair of sunglasses, in the Aburame style, and a CD player. For Naruto, the party was exhilarating. It was his first real birthday party, and he loved it.

"Thanks for coming!" Naruto said as they separated at an intersection. He walked past his apartment and went straight to the training field. He put his presents down next to one of the three posts there, then began his exercises. He started with stretches, then began to run laps. A few hours later, he finished, and with a few pants, headed home. When he got there, he sat on his couch and stared out the window, just like the year before. Once the sun had set, he stood up and went to his bedroom. When he got there, he changed into his pajamas (which had little foxes on them), and crawled into his bed.

"**Happy Birthday kit. Maybe tomorrow I'll teach you something cool…**"

'Thanks Kyuubi.'

"**Okay, now get to sleep, or else you won't have enough strength tomorrow.**"

'Good night fox.'

"**Good night kit.**"

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Well, I'm done. Once again, I'm really sorry about taking so long to update, and I'm sure it won't happen again. I made a little bit longer of a chapter this time, just because I'm sorry. Oh, and also, I'll include some favorite 'cool' Naruto quotes of mine every chapter or so, just for fun. So here's a few:

Akamichi Chouji: "There is something even more inexcusable than making fun of me, or eating the last bite of an expensive meal... and that's making fun of my friend!"

Maito Gai: "Look into my eyes and accept my dearest apologies. While you're at it, notice my handsome, manly features."

Uzumaki Naruto: "The pain of being lonely... is out of this world, isn't it?"

Yep, there you go. These were found on Wikiquote, so give that website and it's developers all of the credit. I'm sorry again, and thanks for reading!

-Alexander Abeo


	6. Chapter 5 The Scroll of Forbidden Seals

-1The Colors of Nothing and Everything-Chapter 5-The Scroll of Forbidden Seals

Well, this took a week to write, just because I don't manage my time right. I was going to make this chapter way longer, but it's been a while since I updated, so I'll just post this finished part. I also edited this chapter, because Hanabi is the Japanese word for fireworks. So yeah, I guess. Here's Chapter Five!

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Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story.

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs(Original Characters) that I invent.

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"This took a while, even though I procrastinated."- Normal Speech

'I hope that they believed my excuse, because it was legitimate.'- Thoughts

"**No, seriously, he is. He's only got, like, one tail. I've got nine! I'm freakin' awesome!**"- Kyuubi Speech

"Hmm… maybe I'm just tired of talking."- Summon/ Human-ized Kyuubi Speech

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Naruto sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. He slowly shifted to the side and sat with his legs over the edge. As the sun rose, he began to wake up more, and remembered an important fact. Today was the deadline for the new project, given by the Hokage himself. The students had to learn one jutsu all by themselves. Naruto, who was a major procrastinator, still didn't have anything.

'How am I supposed to learn a jutsu if I can't find any?' Naruto despaired in his mind.

"**Why can't you use any of my jutsu?**" Naruto rolled his eyes.

'You helped me learn them, so that would be cheating.' Naruto sighed, then began to get dressed. He walked out of his room, and ate some breakfast before starting his morning exercises. At first he stretched and did some basic exercises. When he was done with that, he stepped outside and began his jog, which lasted for another hour. Naruto ended his jog at a training field, where he began to attack a tall wooden post with ferocity. He vented his frustration at the situation on the post until the sun began to rise. Once he finished with that, he quickly ran back to his apartment to change into school clothes, the same outfit that he wore on the first day of school, but with gloves. He sighed as he remembered those days, and how much he had grown since then.

'Where do you think I could get a jutsu?' he asked while sitting down on his couch. 'If I don't get one I'll have a major dent in my grade.'

"**Well, I suggest you go to school now and explain your situation. Maybe one of your teachers could help you.**" Naruto sighed again, then ran to the Academy as fast as he could. He knew that when Kyuubi gave serious advice, it helped to follow it. When he got there, he turned to the right and walked down the corridor. He entered the room, but only saw Mizuki.

"Mizuki-sensei," he began as he approached, "Good morning. Do you mind assisting me with something?" Seeing him nod, Naruto continued. "I really need help with the jutsu project." He waited anxiously as Mizuki stood and walked over to him.

"Well, Naruto, it's a little bit late for that. I do, however, have a solution." Naruto's face brightened almost instantly. "You see, I let the Hokage borrow a scroll that I really need by the end of the day. I don't want to bother him, since he's much too busy, and he still needs the scroll anyways. If you can get the scroll, and meet me in the forest, I could give you a jutsu to learn, one that would take almost no practice to learn. Class doesn't start for another two hours, so you can be done really fast, and get back here in time for class. Does that sound good to you?" Naruto nodded his head rapidly.

"**Kit, there's something wrong with this situation. He's not telling the whole truth, and sometimes outright lying. You'd better be really careful.**" Naruto dropped the grin he had put on, and asked Mizuki for the information. After everything was explained, he ran off for the Hokage tower. He checked in with the Sandaime's secretary, who let him in since it was a regular occasion, and began the hunt for the scroll.

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Naruto ran through the forest, slick with perspiration. He had just gotten away by the skin of his teeth. He had found the scroll, then turned around right in time to see a shadow on the wall. He had to jump straight up eight feet to hide in an empty scroll cubbyhole. He watched as Sarutobi browsed his scrolls before leaving with an orange book. After the Sandaime had left, Naruto escaped through an open window. Now he was running to the meeting spot, where he would regroup with Mizuki, who would then teach him the jutsu.

"**You are an idiot. _Mizuki-sensei_ is using you like a pawn! Have you even seen the scroll? Just read the title, you stupid kit!**" Naruto stopped right where he was. He knew that the Kyuubi only reacted strongly to danger directed at Naruto. He pulled the scroll off of his back and opened it. Scroll of Forbidden Seals (Do not open!) was at the top of it.

'The Scroll of Forbidden Seals? This is the Hokage's! What would Mizuki-sen… Mizuki want with this?' He heard the Kyuubi growl in his mind.

"**That snake is a traitor! He just wanted you to steal the scroll for him. Well, now I say we use the scroll ourselves.**" Naruto smiled, so wide you could almost see the sun glinting off of his teeth.

'Heck yeah! There are bound to be tons of cool jutsu in there!' Naruto ran in a different direction, this time to a spot he found while training. It was unique: a flat field, surrounded on three sides by steep rock walls, with a narrow passage leading into it. Of course, this being Fire Country, this was surrounded by numerous trees, forming an awesome hiding spot, and an average training area. It was perfect for this situation, and nobody was bound to find him. He sat down and began reading about techniques. The first one was the Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) no Jutsu. He read over the seal and the description, then decided to practice it.

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Thirty minutes later, Naruto collapsed on the ground, along with three other Narutos. He had pretty much mastered the technique, and now could make ten clones, even though he could only hold three for more than a minute.

"**Kit, tomorrow I'll teach you a technique to help with that jutsu.**" Naruto wearily nodded, then got up and walked to a locked box in the corner of the structure. He opened it with a key from his pocket, and took out some snacks. He sat and began to eat while dismissing his clones. Once he was done, he came up with a brilliant idea. He moved back to the box and took out some paper and a pencil. He began to diligently copy down the jutsu and other information. Once he got done, he folded it up and stuck it in his pocket. He began to stand up, but tripped and banged his head against the wall. The last thing he heard was the Kyuubi's laughter.

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Iruka continued jumping through the trees in the forest, still searching for the ninja who took the Scroll of Forbidden Seals from the Hokage's tower. The Sandaime had mobilized all of the available ninja to find it about four hours before, but no one had had any luck yet. Iruka checked his watch, which read 7:00, and watched as the sun sank lower and lower. He continued searching, jumping in a zigzag pattern to cover more ground, all the while thinking about the dangers the scroll posed to Konoha. If an enemy ninja were to get the scroll, it could be disastrous! Iruka began to pant as he searched, slowing down until he had to come to a stop. He sat down at the roots of a tree and pulled an energy bar out of his pocket. He began to chew thoughtfully while looking around for any signs of movement. He focused his gaze on a dense thicket of trees. He slowly stood up and walked over to the wall of trees. He separated some branches, but only saw a rock wall. He walked around the thicket until he saw a small opening. He squeezed in and saw his student Naruto.

"Hey Naruto, what are you doing out here? Why didn't you come to school today? Did you play hooky? Anyways…" Iruka's eyes fell on the scroll that was on Naruto's back.

"Umm… Hello Iruka-sensei. I'm just training here in my secret spot! I was sick earlier, but I've been feeling better. What are you-" Naruto didn't get to finish as Iruka pushed him down.

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Naruto looked up with shock. He wiped blood off of his cheek while he continued staring. Iruka had gotten hit by a giant shuriken, and was now coughing out blood.

"Iruka-sensei!" Iruka collapsed next to Naruto, revealing Mizuki, who was rotating another giant shuriken. Naruto looked back and forth between the two Chuunin before reaching a conclusion.

"Naruto, hurry and give me the scroll! Iruka was trying to kill you, but I got him first. Hurry up, more ninja will be coming!" Naruto pulled the scroll off of his neck, then threw it behind him.

"If you want the secrets of Konoha, you'll have to go through me first!" Naruto settled into a stance that Mizuki had never seen before and waited there. Mizuki let out a roar and charged at Naruto with the shuriken spinning like a buzz saw. He threw it with all of his strength and smirked as it hit the eleven-year-old child. However, the smirk turned into a snarl as the Kage Bunshin exploded into smoke. He whipped his head around, trying to find a trace of the boy. The ground underneath him exploded as five Narutos came out of the hole feet-first. Mizuki was kicked in the chin and knocked into the air by the attack, while more Narutos regrouped underneath him. Two of them propelled another into the air. Mizuki's eyes widened as he saw a jutsu began to form in his hand. The jutsu was shaped like a drill and fiery, and apparently required no handseals. Naruto thrust his hand forward and grimaced as blood hit his face.

Mizuki hit the ground with a thud and coughed up more blood. There was a hole straight through his stomach, a wound that Naruto knew was fatal. He dismissed all of his Bunshin and wiped the blood off of his face with his gloves. He turned to Iruka and ran to check up on him. He felt for a pulse, but noticed it's weakness.

"Iruka-sensei…" He turned away and began making hand seals. When he finished he raised his hand straight above his head.

"Hanabi(Fireworks) no Jutsu!" He shouted. Brilliant red, blue, and yellow lights streamed from his hand straight upwards, where they lit the sky in colorful displays. Naruto could already hear the shouts of shinobi who were making their way to the source of the fireworks. He smiled, hopeful that his favorite teacher's life might be saved. He sat and waited for the ninja who were converging on him.

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Naruto sat in the chair in front of the Hokage. The first team of shinobi that found them had brought them straight back to Konoha, where a medic team immediately began to work on Iruka, while he was brought to the Hokage for questioning. Now he had been sitting in the chair for five minutes while the Sandaime stared at him silently smoking his pipe.

"So… What happened? The ninja who found you, found you with a dead Chuunin, an injured Chuunin, and a forbidden scroll. They were alerted by a strange jutsu which isn't in the scroll or any records. I ask again: what happened?" Naruto leaned back in his chair and sighed. This would take a while to explain.

_A while later…_

"So then I used the jutsu they saw to alert them. They found us and brought Iruka-sensei and me here. So, here I am." The Hokage closed his eyes for a moment of reminiscence.

"Where did you learn that jutsu?" Sarutobi kept his eyes closed as he asked the question.

"My old sensei taught me that one. It was originally an attack jutsu, but I modified it." He could hear the discomfort in the boy's voice.

"Could you please teach these ANBU that technique? It would be incredibly useful for distractions and signals in their missions." The Sandaime opened his eyes and pushed a stack of papers to Naruto. The boy had a dazed look on his face.

'I'm not in trouble?' He thought as he looked at the ANBU papers, which had almost no information on them.

"**That's sort of obvious brat.**" Naruto realized that the Kyuubi was probably mad at him for being so reckless against the Chuunin. He made a note to talk to him later.

"I guess I could… Shouldn't I be in trouble? I stole that scroll, and killed a Chuunin!" The Sandaime just smiled.

"You were manipulated by Mizuki, and only defended yourself when he attacked you. I'm just thankful that you didn't go to meet him, or else he might have gotten the scroll. Anyways, that was some feat! An Academy student beating a Chuunin would be terribly embarrassing."

"Thank you. Do you think I could go home now? I'm feeling really tired, and it's getting late…" Sarutobi looked at his clock.

"You can go now, but it's only about eight o'clock." Naruto stood up and stretched.

"Well, you know what they say. 'Early to bed, early to rise' and all that."

As Naruto left, the Sandaime couldn't help but think he didn't know.

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Man, this would have been a huge chapter if I had more time. A car crashed into my garage a few days ago, so I haven't typed in a while. Also, there's been lots of other stuff going on. Add that to the fact that I'm probably the world's biggest procrastinator, and it makes sense that it took me eight days to update. Sorry about that though. If you're a really big fan of Naruto, try Naruto-Arena. Just add the three w's and the dot com, and you've got the right site. It's an online strategy game for Naruto, and it's pretty fun. I'm not very good at it though L. Thanks for reading, please review!

-Alexander Abeo


	7. Chapter 6 The Academy Ends

The Colors of Nothing and Everything-Chapter 6-The Academy Ends

Yeah, I started this one earlier, but still took a long time. Why am I typing so much slower now? I don't know, and I keep making promises for faster updates... Sorry! I'm happy to say that this will finish off the Ninja Academy. Well, I can't think of much else to type up here, so here's chapter 6.

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Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story.

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs(Original Characters) that I invent.

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"I can't wait for school to be out Chouji!"- Normal Speech

'I'm bored…'- Thoughts

"**Jeez, Shukaku got caught so easily. They've had him for what, three generations?**"- Kyuubi Speech

"'Pretty fly for a Rabbi…' Man I love that song!"- Summon/ Human-ized Kyuubi Speech

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Naruto felt nervous when he entered the classroom. He had finished training the ANBU the day before, and now it was a week after the events with a scroll. He was surprised that nobody had searched him and found the paper. He had been planning to practice them, but hadn't gotten a chance. Now that he had taught the ANBU the Hanabi no jutsu, he would have a chance. He looked at the substitute teacher. He reminded him of Shikamaru a lot. Upon closer inspection, he recognized the Chuunin that had let him into Konoha. He noted that now he was a Jounin, but still as sleepy-looking as ever. He had only seen him a few times since the year before, but when he did he made sure to wave.

"What trouble have you been in lately?" Shikamaru asked as he approached from behind. Naruto turned around to see him.

"I haven't been in any trouble, just sick." Shikamaru kept his eyes on Naruto, trying not to break eye contact. He had to move his eyes: Naruto's seemed so… knowing. Almost like he was looking into your soul, or maybe just a spot about six inches behind your head. When Shikamaru and Chouji had started a staring contest, Naruto had Spoken up, wanting to challenge the winner. Shikamaru had won, so he looked at Naruto, waiting for the signal to start. Chouji said, "Go!", so Shikamaru looked at Naruto's eyes. After just three seconds, he looked away. He had realized then that Naruto almost never made eye contact unless you did, and even then he would look away quickly.

"Oh yeah?" Shikamaru spoke, forgetting about Naruto's uncanny staring abilities. "The same day you miss school, Iruka-sensei gets injured, Mizuki-sensei is killed, my dad spends half the day looking for a secret scroll that was stolen, and Konoha enjoyed a strange display in the sky. What really happened to you?" Naruto let out a long, deep sigh.

"Do you and Chouji want to train with me this afternoon? I could tell you then." Shikamaru was shocked. It was now February; since Naruto had been going to school, one year and four months in all, they had never trained together out of school. Of course, they hung out together, played games, even had sleepovers, but never if it interrupted Naruto's training.

"I'm sure he would say ok, and I would be thrilled to go. You'd better have a good excuse though." Shikamaru smiled at Naruto, actually happy to be doing something that took effort, as long as he found out what Naruto had been doing. He followed Naruto to the aisle, and they sat next to Shino. Over time, he had opened up a little bit, and now spoke sparsely yet knowledgeably. Although this was an improvement, he still wasn't as talkative as Naruto would like.

Naruto stifled his laugh as he saw Shino trying to refuse snacks from Chouji politely. It was like watching a man with numb fingers try to play the flute; it just couldn't be done. Eventually Shino had to take a potato chip. As Naruto watched, Shino tentatively reached into the bag and pulled out one chip. Naruto and Shikamaru watched as he raised it slowly to his jacket's brim. Shikamaru might have just imagined it, but it looked like he was sweating. Chouji waited patiently as Shino pulled his collar down and pushed the chip closer and closer to his mouth.

Time seemed to slow down for Shino. He watched Chouji's expectant face, and knew that there was no way to get out of this. He put the chip in his mouth and chewed slowly, then swallowed. He nodded his head and gave a small smile to Chouji.

"Thank you." He said calmly, then turned back to face the center of the room. Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chouji sweatdropped.

'What kind of reaction was that? He built up all of that suspense!' Naruto raved in his head. He walked up the aisle and sat next to Shino.

"What was the big deal with that? You were sweating!" Shino turned to Naruto as Shikamaru sat down.

"That was..." Shino began, "The first time I've ever eaten 'junk food'" Naruto sweatdropped again, while Chouji looked at Shino in shock.

"Really!? You can't be serious!" Chouji practically shouted. Shino just nodded politely. Naruto was about to ask Shino something, but the bell rang.

Genma stood up and pointed straight at Naruto. "You haven't been here for a while. What's your name?" Naruto smiled, remembering how frustrated the man had been the last time he asked him the question.

"My name is Ryuusei Naruto. May I ask what yours is?" Genma nodded.

"My name is Shiranui Genma. I'm your new temporary Academy teacher, so it's Genma-sensei to you. Now, today you're gonna learn about the Nidaime Hokage's unique water jutsu ability."

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Shikamaru and Chouji walked to training field 23, where they were going to meet Naruto. They would have gotten here earlier, but they were stopped by Chouji getting some snacks from a vending machine, which took a few minutes. Knowing Naruto, he had probably run all the way there.

As they drew closer, they heard the sounds of many people running around. They walked through the trees surrounding the training field, and immediately saw at least fifty Narutos fighting each other. They stood still, just watching the weird spectacle, until they were forced to jump back from a flying dragon of water. Shikamaru clasped his hands in a seal and concentrated. He expelled chakra and looked around. All of the Narutos were still there, although there were a lot less than before. Shikamaru continued watching, realizing that this was not a genjutsu, and that there were really multiple Narutos there. Eventually, the last two lunged at each other. They twisted around in a weird fighting style that apparently involved the fighter punching at pressure points. Neither of them even touched each other, and the fight had no inclination to end. One of them pulled a kunai out of his kunai ouch on his hip- Chouji noted with pride that Naruto still used the ones that he got him for his tenth birthday- and continued attacking normally. Once again, both Narutos attacked at the same time with a spinning backhand punch. The one with the kunai, however, threw it at the apex of his swing. It hit the other Naruto in the head, which soon disappeared into smoke. Naruto stood in place, panting after his exertion in the fight. He turned his head when he heard clapping, and saw Shikamaru and Chouji on the sidelines of the field, applauding him. He walked to them and stood, still panting.

"That was the Kage Bunshin no jutsu. I learned it a week ago." Shikamaru nodded.

"How did you? That's a Jounin level jutsu, and a closely guarded secret of Konoha's."

"I learned it when... I stole the Scroll of Forbidden Seals. It was in there, along with a lot of other techniques." Shikamaru and Chouji stared at Naruto, shocked at his confession. He was the only person to ever steal that scroll, and he wasn't even a genin yet!

"Are you serious Naruto? That scroll is in the Hokage's office library! It's impossible to sneak in there!" Naruto shook his head.

"Then how did I Chouji? I can help you both get stronger by teaching you the techniques that I learned! They'll help you increase your chakra reserves, and improve your chakra control. Plus, they'll be a real trump card in a fight!" Shikamaru smiled. He really sounded like he was willing to help them out a lot, even with secret techniques of Konoha. To trust them this much... he really was a true friend.

"Of course we will, Naruto." Shikamaru turned in surprise to Chouji, who had answered. His face settled into a grin as he realized that Chouji was probably thinking along the same lines as him.

"Yeah, we're ready to learn Naruto...sensei." Naruto began to laugh.

"Don't call me that! It makes me sound like Iruka-sensei, and I'm not old!" Naruto said after he finished laughing. He walked in front of Chouji and shook his hand. He moved to Shikamaru and did the same thing to him. He turned around and walked to the center of the field.

"Let's get started!"

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Shikamaru would never look at Naruto the same way as before. During the training, he had realized how insane he was. He had them running for hours, and then fighting his clones. He had to admit though: his training worked. His training worked really well. In fact, Shikamaru felt stronger than ever before. Although, more tired than he ever was before at the same time. You could see the results in Chouji too. He had really gotten muscular. He still ate a lot though, because the Akamichi's jutsu needed lots of calories to be fully effective. No more a pleasantly plump boy, Chouji was now a "rolling tank of destruction" as Naruto often said. Shikamaru was beginning to get more muscular too. Also, they had both learned the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and the Hanabi no Jutsu. Now it was time to put their new skills to the test.

"Akamichi Chouji! Please enter the examination room." Shikamaru nodded somberly to Chouji, who nodded back. Naruto spoiled the quiet atmosphere by smiling, holding up both thumbs, and loudly saying "Go Chouji!". Shikamaru watched his friend enter the room... Five minutes passed. Five more minutes passed. The door opened and Chouji stepped into the classroom. He smiled and held both thumbs up. On his head sat a gleaming Konoha forehead protector. He sat down and accepted the congratulations with a smile. They sat and waited for their names to be called. Eventually the instructor in the test room got to the letter N.

"Nara Shikamaru! Please enter the examination room." Shikamaru nervously walked down the aisle and into the room. Naruto watched as he opened the door and stepped inside. About six minutes later, he exited in his slouched gait with a shiny forehead protector on. Chouji and Naruto congratulated the new ninja, and then waited for Naruto's turn.

"Ryuusei Naruto! Please enter the examination room." Naruto nervously stepped up and walked into the room. It was spacious, and quite clean. The examiner's desk was set up in the front of it, and the rest was empty.

"Naruto, you need to make a henge for the first part." Naruto concentrated, gathering chakra, then formed his hands into a seal.

"Henge no Jutsu!" Naruto appeared as a perfect copy of Iruka, who had returned for the graduation day as secondary instructor.

"Very good Naruto!" Iruka praised. He still thanked Naruto for saving his life, even though he had endangered him in the first place.

"Now, go through the obstacle course." Naruto looked around the room.

"What obstacle course?" He asked. Genma pushed a button, and two ninja pulled back a wooden partition, revealing a large and dangerous looking obstacle course.

"Oh dear..."

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Shikamaru's breath caught as the door opened. Just like with Chouji's examination, he was dying to know the outcome. Naruto stepped out, his face a picture of pure sorrow. He trudged up to the aisle, and continued slowly to where his friends sat. Shikamaru patted him on his back. Naruto pulled a giant grin out of nowhere and put his hands into a seal. Suddenly, he was wearing a shining forehead protector, and beaming like crazy. Shikamaru whacked him on the head.

"I thought that you had failed for a second!" Chouji began to laugh, and was soon joined by Naruto. Even Shikamaru gave a small smile. That was a totally Naruto-ish thing to do. Eventually, all of the other Academy students had finished their tests, and Genma and Iruka walked out of the examination room.

"Please come back tomorrow to learn about your team placement! You can go now." Naruto, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Shino, who had also passed the tests, decided to go out to eat at Ichiraku Ramen. There they discussed possible team placement, and who their instructors might be. After the meal, they split up and went home, all eager to go to the Academy the next day.

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Naruto sat with all of his friends in the front row. This was a first, since Shikamaru often slept in classes, preventing them from sitting anywhere near the front of the classroom. They waited, filled with anticipation as Genma and Iruka came into the room.

"Okay, since everyone is here, we can start with the team placement. Team One..." Naruto listened as he called out the names and the teams. He heard that Sasuke, Sakura, and Kanata Yatchu. The next team was Hinata, Kiba, and, to his dismay, Shino. He heard the groans of disapproval sweep through their group. Shino even stared at the desk, with a hint of a frown on the part of his face they could see. Naruto whipped his head towards Genma when he heard his name spoken.

"Team Ten: Ryuusei Naruto, Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akamichi Chouji." He couldn't believe it. He looked at his friends and saw that they couldn't either.

"Your sensei is: Me."

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Yep... I'm sorry again about being so late with this chapter. Maybe I can update faster, since Tuesday is my last day of school before Christmas vacation. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, 'cause I put a lot of thought into it. I think it was a pretty good cliffhanger. I'll enjoy reading reviews /hint hint/!

"See, the way I figure it you're either with me that is against me or against me cause you're with me. See, I don't want you to be with me See, I want you to be against me, as I am. Otherwise, you're just against me cause you're with me." - Marvin (Kevin) Garnes, Founder of the HK.

Yeah, that's from the Chris Rock Show. It's pretty funny, and you can find clips for that on Youtube dot com. Thanks for reading my story, bye!

-Alexander Abeo


	8. Chapter 7 Team Ten

The Colors of Nothing and Everything-Chapter 7-Team Ten

Sorry about waiting for so long to start typing! I got sidetracked with my aunt visiting, my cousins visiting, and other Christmas-y stuff. I'll just give you the story now.

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Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story.

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs(Original Characters) that I invent.

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"Cool, Christmas is four days away!"- Normal Speech

'I wonder what I'll get for Christmas…'- Thoughts

"**Even my container could probably beat his! Honestly, why is he even a tailed demon?**"- Kyuubi Speech

"How did people learn to summon us anyways? Also, where's my copy of Ultimate Ninja?!? It gets really boring when I'm not being summoned!"- Summon/ Human-ized Kyuubi Speech

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'Genma is my teacher… cool!' Naruto pumped his fist in the air while sitting in his desk. Just fifteen minutes ago, Team 10 was created. It consisted of Shiranui Genma, the extremely sleepy-looking sensei; Yamanaka Ino, the loud-mouthed, annoying ninja; Ryuusei Naruto, the newest student in their class, and apparently weak ninja; Nara Shikamaru, the obviously lazy and deceptively average ninja; and Akamichi Chouji, the chubby, muscular, and hungry ninja. Their team was the only five-man Konoha Genin team in action.

"I can't believe I got stuck with the lazy boy! But no, they even had to add the fat boy and the weirdo! This is stupid!" Naruto knew that Ino wasn't happy on their team, but she was lucky that Chouji didn't hear the comment about his weight. He wasn't exactly happy that he was the 'weirdo', but Chouji would have gotten into a fight with her probably. He saw Shikamaru in a heated debate with the mentioned boy. Genma finally stepped out of the stairwell and met them, so they all turned heir attention to him

"Well, hello. I guess that we could make our introductions now, even though I know all of you already. I don't think that a refresher course could do any harm." The group looked at each other, then turned as one back to Genma.

"Could you go first, Genma-sensei?" Ino spoke up. He sighed and moved his toothpick to the side of his mouth.

"My name's Shiranui Genma. I'm the Jounin captain of Ninja Team 10. I used to work at the academy, and was promoted to Jounin about a year ago. Now you go Ino. You can just start with likes, dislikes, and other stuff like that." Naruto sweatdropped. All that they had found out was information that they already knew, plus when he was made a Jounin.

"My name is Yamanaka Ino. I love Sasuke-kun and my family. I hate anyone who wants to steal Sasuke-kun from me. I would like to marry Sasuke-kun when I get older, and my only hobby is working on my make-up." Genma had to sigh on the inside. He knew that the kunoichi of today were getting weaker, but this was just awful. Nothing about being a ninja or training, just the Uchiha survivor. He sighed out loud, then turned to Shikamaru.

"Your turn." Shikamaru said something under his breath, then began to speak.

"My name is Nara Shikamaru. I like my friends and watching clouds. Taking a nap is fine too. I don't like my mom getting angry and yelling at me, or being woken up. I hope to become a Chuunin, settle down with a wife, have two kids, and spend the rest of my life playing shogi and watching clouds as an old man. Playing shogi, watching clouds, and training are my hobbies." Genma was actually surprised. This lazy boy trained? He couldn't help but wonder what motivated him. Now his head moved to Chouji.

"Ok, start talking." Chouji nodded and put the bag of chips that he was eating away.

"My name is Akamichi Chouji. I like my friends, eating, and lunchtime. I hate people taking the last bite of a tasty meal, and burning my cooking. I want to become a great ninja along with my team, and live in old age as a chef. My hobbies are cooking, training, and just hanging out with my friends." Genma was surprised again! This boy liked training too, and seemed to be able to bond with his team nicely. He would make a great addition to their team. Lastly he turned and looked directly into the eyes of Naruto.

Ryuusei Naruto. He remembered meeting him more than a year ago. Almost two years now. He had noticed him while teaching. He was holding back, that he knew. The real question was, why hasn't he taken the advanced graduation exam? Maybe for an advantage? Perhaps he wanted to gain a reputation with the weak genin? The Chuunin-strength ninja's motives might be revealed now, he thought. But he wished that Naruto would end his eye contact. It was really making his eyes water.

"Now you can have your turn." He said to Naruto.

"My name is Ryuusei Naruto. I like my friends, training, Chouji's cooking, watching clouds with Shikamaru, looking for bugs with Shino, and learning new stuff. I don't like people who threaten Konoha, being completely idle, and homework. I want to become a great ninja, then be the Godaime Hokage! My hobbies are training, reading, learning new jutsu, and hanging out with my friends." Genma's eyes shone with happiness. That was his reason… to stay with his friends, his precious people. He held them, along with Konoha, high above himself. He would rather die than let them be harmed, and surely to protect his new home. Genma realized that this boy would make a great Hokage, if he could be strong enough.

'This team will become great…' Genma thought as he looked at Team 10.

"Okay, team, let's meet at training area number… twenty-three tomorrow at 7:00 A.M. We can start with some basic training exercises, for your real Genin exam. Just bring a lunch and you'll be fine. Don't eat much breakfast either. Once you get there, I'll explain more."

"What do you mean Genin exam? Didn't we already take that?" Genma looked at Ino.

"Yes, but I'll explain more tomorrow. I'll see you then, so bye." Genma quickly turned and jumped off the roof, onto another, then onto the street. Naruto looked at his friends and shrugged.

"I'm going to go train now. I'll see you tomorrow." Naruto left by the stairs, and walked to his training grounds, eager to finally become a genin.

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Genma sat on one of the many boulders of training area twenty-three. He was familiar with the area, as he trained there nearly every day he wasn't on a mission. He knew all of the nooks and crannies, along with great ambush spots. He decided to give a hard test since the Genin team looked so promising. He sat for another fifteen minutes, until Naruto came into view. This came as a slight surprise since it was only 6:30 P.M.

"What are you doing here? You're about twelve hours early." Naruto just shrugged and continued walking.

"I train here sometimes. It's one of my favorite spots because it reminds me of the time I spent in Iwa." Naruto continued on until he disappeared from Genma's line of sight. Genma leaned back until he was lying on his back and contemplated the words.

'He's trained in Iwa… that's pretty strange. I wonder who trained him. Was he an Iwa ninja?' Eventually, Genma fell asleep while looking at the sun-shaded clouds.

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Genma was jolted out of his sleep by an explosion. He sat up quickly and pulled out a kunai. He stealthily ran in the general direction the explosion came from, and peered over a large boulder. Over it he saw his student, Naruto, standing in a crater that must have been eight feet wide. His eyes widened in shock: there should be no genin with a jutsu that could do that. He put his kunai away and watched with wide eyes as Naruto performed the same jutsu over and over again, each time making an explosion. The jutsu rotated raw chakra in a circle around him. It seemed similar to the Hyuuga's Kaiten(Whirl) jutsu, but flat instead of spherical. Each time Naruto performed the technique, the rings of chakra went farther, until he was at a fifteen foot diameter. Genma knew that there was no normal Genin who could do a jutsu of that power. He observed him until he saw him pull out a piece of notebook paper. He could hardly see the title from where he was at, but he could make out the word forbidden pretty easily. He was still surprised, as it was written in a Jounin ninja code.

'Who is this boy? How could I have let him into Konoha so easily? Why does he have a piece of paper with the jutsu from the scroll that he stole?' Genma saw him check off the last item on the list with a pencil, then jumped off of the boulder. He approached Naruto and gave him an angry stare.

"What are you doing? Where did you get that paper? Who are you?!" Naruto looked up from the paper with large eyes.

"Genma-sensei?" Genma was happy that the boy was surprised. Now it would be easier to get the information out of him.

"Answer me Naruto." Naruto sighed and began to tell him the unedited version of his encounter with Mizuki.

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"I always thought that Iruka had gotten Mizuki. He never really spoke about it… So, time for the next question. Who are you? I want the truth." Naruto was really sweating now.

"My name really is Ryuusei Naruto. I come from Iwa, and was brought up by my sensei. He taught me for most of my life, and we moved to Snow Country a few years ago. About two years ago, I came here because my sensei died, and that's where I met you." Genma sensed no lies, but…

"Tell me the whole story. I don't want to know where you lived, or where you were when. I want to know important facts." Naruto stopped sweating. He didn't move for a minute, the raised his eyes. He looked directly into Genma's eyes and blinked. When his eyes opened, the iris was purple and the pupil was bright red. Genma was mesmerized. They were the most captivating, brilliant, beautiful eyes he had ever seen. He stared at them, and felt himself falling into their depths. He struggled to look away, but succumbed to the pull. He collapsed, and was caught by Naruto. He carried him to the boulder that he was lying on earlier and left him there. He looked at his face with sorrowful eyes and began speaking to himself.

"Sorry Genma-sensei. Tomorrow morning, you'll have forgotten all about this, and my secret will be safe. Good night." Naruto turned and ran as fast as he could to his home, where he promptly fell asleep.

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Woohoo! Sorry this took so long. Wow, that's like an excuse every chapter. Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it! I'm really excited about it! I hope that you get almost everything that you ask for, but not all of it, or else you could ask for everything on earth, and I don't want to have everything owned by whoever you are. I haven't done any cool Naruto quotes since I started doing them, so I'll say a few now:

Shiranui Genma: "When captured birds grow wiser, they try to open the cage with their beaks. They don't give up, because they want to fly again."

Nara Shikamaru: "The clouds are nice. They're so free."

Uchiha Sasuke: "My dreams aren't in the future, they are in my past."

Maito Gai: "Now run, run into the sunset and suffer. But don't mess up your hair!"

Hatake Kakashi: "A cute girl stopped me on the way, so I danced; Hello students, today I got lost on the road of life; Sorry, a black cat crossed my path so I had to go the long way; I was helping an old lady cross the street; Sorry I'm late. You wouldn't believe the traffic." (A montage of excuses)

So, there are your quotes. I hope that everyone has a great Christmas!

-Alexander Abeo


	9. Chapter 8 Graduation?

The Colors of Nothing and Everything-Chapter 8- Graduation?

I bet you thought that I died…that would have been a pretty good excuse. If you haven't checked my profile, go there now for an idea of mine that I might make a story about… I'm not sure if I want to end this story so suddenly or not… I think I'll keep going for now, and maybe think about it again later. Also, I'm not going to type that speech key-thing anymore, because everyone who has read this far should have seen it already. So yeah…Now onto more important things! I'm really sorry again, but I needed to take a break. Now I'm more dedicated! This will probably have some music lyrics, so you can probably call it a song-chapter(that a super creative name, isn't it?).Yeah, I've typed this chapter about…four or five times in all. And I just figured out that you could add those line thingys. Here it is, and I'm really sorry if it sucks after all that waiting!

* * *

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I also do not own Linkin Park, their new CD (even though I wish I did), or any of their songs. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story. 

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs(Original Characters) that I invent.

* * *

Genma held up his hand to block the bright sunlight. He knew that deciding to sleep out here was a bad idea. It didn't even sound like something he would do normally. He eased back, trying to find a more comfortable spot, with hardly any luck. Just as he found a spot perfect for his back, he had a flash of memory. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 7:15. He yawned, sat up, then slowly swung his eyes back to his watch. 

'Crap…' he thought.

* * *

Naruto walked through a gap in between a pair of huge granite colored rocks and came out at the main entrance to the training area. 

'Am I late?' he wondered, as the rest of the team was already there. Except for Genma. Shikamaru and Chouji glanced up from the dice game they were playing and Chouji smiled.

Shikamaru spoke, "Yo, Naruto. You're about fifteen minutes late. Wanna' bet?"

Naruto shook his head, but still watched them gamble.

"So you guys," Ino said from her nearby seat, "Do you know when Genma-sensei will be here?" As she spoke, telltale signs of a storm started showing. Some of the clouds in the sky started flashing, and Naruto realized that they might have to finish their exam in the rain.

"Actually, I've got no clue. I just got here myself, but he can't be much later than me." As Naruto finished speaking, he turned in alarm. After just a second, Shikamaru and Chouji were up two, hands fingering their shuriken pouches. Ino even got the hint and began to look around nervously. Genma ran at an unbelievable speed around the corner covered in dirt, with some grass stains on his knees. Naruto, Chouji, and Shikamaru began laughing. As he stood panting, hands on his knees, his students approached him.

"Alright," he began to say, "Who had… the bright idea… to set up traps?" Ino looked at Chouji, who looked at Shikamaru, who looked at Naruto, who just grinned and held up the peace sign.

'Is that why he's late?' Ino thought.

'Why is Naruto still using that stupid sign he made in the Academy? That was like our first decoy designing project…' The sign in question was an index card-sized piece of wood, with a crude drawing of a hand giving the real peace sign, and a popsicle stick to hold it with. Naruto continued grinning as he put the sign away, and the team waited for a minute for Genma to regain his composure.

"Okay… This is a real Genin test. Basically, the one they gave you at the Ninja Academy was a pretense, a system for rooting out those who had no chance of being a ninja this year. If you pass, you get to join me and go on missions with your team. If you fail, you'll go back to the Academy…" The whole team stared at Genma.

'No!!! If I don't pass, my chances with Sasuke-kun will be snuffed out!' Ino wailed in her mind and, unknowingly, out loud.

"Well, at least it's a challenge… let's start," Naruto said with the grin still on his face. Though Chouji nodded, Naruto could still see the lack of self-confidence in Shikamaru's and Ino's faces. "You guys have me on your team, and I'll be Hokage, so what do you think can go wrong?" Shikamaru put on a tentative grin, but Ino remained unconvinced.

"I'll lay out the rules now, so there won't be any confusion. The main challenge involves stealth, one of the most important rules for being a ninja. I'm going to give you each a normal, everyday leaf. You are going to keep this hidden at all times from your teammates. If anyone can shout out the name of your leaf, you're going to fail. If that person gets the name of the leaf wrong, they fail. During this stealth 'mission', I'll give you a series of other tests to examine your non-stealth skill progress. Got it all so far?"

Shikamaru's 'the teacher is watching so I'd better do something' sense was tingling, so he nodded. The rest of the team slowly nodded, taking the information and storing it in their minds.

"Please come with me to receive your leaves." One by one, the members of Team 10 followed Genma behind a tree to receive their secret leaves. Once the secretive part was complete, each of them returned to the spot where they had begun the briefing.

"Now that you have your leaves," Genma began, "I can get on with the other tasks. Remember, if someone can tell me what leaf you have, you're failing. This part of the exam will test your basic combat abilities, plus your speed. You need to press your leaf onto my forehead to pass." Genma permitted himself to smirk at their reactions. He knew that it would be tough, but if his expectations were met… his team would flourish, and go on to become one of the greatest. He couldn't wait.

"How would we do that without the others seeing?" Shikamaru asked. Ino was still too shocked to speak, and Chouji and Naruto were both cradling their heads in their hands.

'This'll be hard…' Chouji thought. It would be hard enough just to land a hit on the Jounin, but with the leaf it would be even more difficult. After a quick glance at Shikamaru and Naruto, he knew that they wouldn't be going easy on him or Ino.

"Now that you know what to do, we can start. Go!" Genma used the Shunshin(Body Flicker) no Jutsu to get away, while the rest of the team began to plan. Naruto also used the Shunshin, while Ino tried to team up with Chouji and Shikamaru.

"Okay, we need to work together to pass. This guy is a Jounin!" Chouji ignored Ino and gave Shikamaru a thumbs up before running into the rocky wilderness after Genma.

"Ino, you'll need a more convincing argument if you want help. I've changed form the Academy student you used to know: I enjoy challenges." Shikamaru got onto his knees and connected his fingertips, trying to figure out the safest plan of attack. Ino began to silently cry, then walked into the shadows of the rocks. Shikamaru peeked out of the corner of his eye, and when he was sure that she was gone, he made a huge jump onto the tallest of the rocks surrounding him. He settled into a relaxed position and began to watch the stormy sky.

'I think better watching clouds anyway.' He rested his head on his arms and began to seriously think.

* * *

Ino ran through the woods, away from her second encounter with Genma. She knew that he knew that there was no way she would be able to fight against him. She continued looking around wildly for any signs of the black hair that she knew so well. She knew, just _knew_, that Naruto would help her. The weird, mysterious kid that probably was kinder to her than any other kid in their class, even though she never did anything to deserve it. You could almost color her surprised when she was tackled to the ground. She heard a faint _shwoop_ sound and an embarrassed giggle. 

"Uh…sorry about that. Mind helping me down?" Ino looked up into the face of the person that she had been looking for. She stood up quickly and threw a shuriken at the rope that was attached to the Genin's leg. Naruto promptly fell to his feet, twisting with a cat-like grace that Ino could only wish for.

"Really sorry about that. I had set that up for Genma, but he hasn't been nearby since the start of the test. What were you doing running like that?"

"What were you doing! You didn't need to tackle me!" Ino snapped at him. She over exaggerated a sigh, and began to speak again while looking at the ground. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap, but I'm really stressed. I came to ask you for… help." The word slipped from Ino's tongue, starting a waterfall. "Shikamaru wouldn't help, and Chouji just ran off somewhere, and I can't do it by myself, and you're really strong, and…I really want to be a… a… ninja." She looked at his face again, and saw a new expression. One of pain.

"You want to be a ninja?" Ino nodded uncertainly. Naruto moved one hand to his thigh. Ino watched it inch down and open his kunai pouch. He pulled out one kunai and spun it deftly in his hand. It stopped suddenly, with the handle pointing toward Ino.

"Take it." Ino took the knife from Naruto and held it uncertainly. Naruto pulled his hand back to his chest. He curled up all of his fingers but the index finger, which nearly touched the spot where Ino supposed his heart would be. He spoke in a whisper. "Can you kill your feelings? Can you kill me?"

* * *

Shikamaru shivered. It ended up waking him up. The temperature had dropped, and now he shook on the same rock that he had been on since the beginning of the test. He sat up and stretched out the kinks in his back. 

'Well, that's what I get for falling asleep,' he thought to himself. He moved his legs to the side of the rock and hopped off. 'Might as well find Genma now.'

* * *

Chouji jumped. He turned around slowly, now wary of his surroundings. After he checked, he began running. He noticed that the temperature had fallen, and it looked nearly ready to rain. He had been looking for Genma, with no luck. Lately he had had only Naruto and Shikamaru for sparring partners, and since they advanced at the same rate as he did, he never really knew how strong he had become. Now he would find out if he could make the 'cut'.

* * *

A pair of eyes surveyed all of the happenings. They were upturned slightly at the edges, as if the face that the eyes were attached to was smiling. The face had no smile however. The best description for the lips' shape would be _neutral_ or maybe _straight as a ruler_. The face in general was overshadowed by a wide-brimmed hat, completely black in color, which made the face harder to see for other people. The sunglasses would have made it pretty hard to see too. His long cloak hid his body from view, but it wasn't like anyone was watching anyway. The black pattern against the white background was beautiful, especially with the kanji on the back. The form looked down at the field of rocks from the back of a bird…looking thing. Atraniveus watched his friend as he taught what their sensei had taught them.

* * *

"What are you talking about Naruto? I'm not going to kill you! Why would you ask that?" Ino threw the kunai at a tree, where it stayed stuck in the trunk.

"Can you kill your feelings? To become a ninja, you have to have the will to kill them!" Naruto's voice began to take on the same pained quality as his face, and grew in volume. "You need to kill anyone! Do anything for your village! Train, practice, be ready to defend it!" Naruto's voice subsided again. "You have to defend it above everything else, even your loved ones. If you had the will to kill me, you could become a great ninja. Now," he looked at her with angry eyes, "you can't even pass this exam. Even without this monster in my stomach, I could pass. But…" Naruto's eyes widened. His expression became pained again, and tears began to flow from his eyes. He turned and ran, faster than anyone that Ino had ever seen. She stood with her eyes open, before she too began to cry. Genma, who had watched from behind a rather large rock, turned and used the Shunshin no jutsu to get to the Hokage Tower.

* * *

_In this farewell  
there's no blood  
there's no alibi  
'Cause I've drawn regret  
for the truth  
of a thousand lies _

_So let mercy come  
and wash away  
what I've done

* * *

_

Naruto ran through the open field, even faster now that his weights were off. Tears fell off his face but were lost in the heavy rain that had started. He ran for what seemed like hours, though it was probably only a few minutes. He reached the edge of a forest, and continued running through the trees.

_

* * *

I've faced myself  
to cross out what I've become  
Erase myself  
and let go of what I've done

* * *

_

He came to a stop at the edge of a lake. Slowly, he began to walk out onto the water. His face was turned to the sky, and he let the rain wash away his tears as he came to a stop in the center of the lake. _

* * *

Put to rest  
what you thought of me  
Well I cleaned this slate  
with the hands of uncertainty_

_So let mercy come  
and wash away  
what I've done _

* * *

'What was it? Two years? I lasted two whole years… And then I make a mistake. Such a stupid mistake… Why now? Now they'll know who I really am…' 

"**It's who you were kit. Also, I didn't appreciate the 'monster' comment. You know I prefer demon.**"

Naruto looked at the rainy sky again, and took another deep breath.

_

* * *

For what I've done  
I'll start again  
And whatever pain may come  
Today this ends  
I'm forgiving what I've done _

* * *

'I'm not going to be able to go back now.' 

"**Give them some time. Especially that Hokage. He'll take it the hardest.**"

'Do you think I made Genin?'

"**I'm not sure…I…hope so.**"

'Well, thanks. Anyways, there is no way in hell I'm giving the headband back.'

* * *

Hmmm… wait, what? OMG!!!!! I actually did it!!!!!!!!!! Woohoo!!!!!! Wow… That was definitely not worth the wait. I'm really sorry for those of you who really wanted to read on. I should have updated sooner. Good News: this is my longest chapter. So far. I think. In retrospect, I don't think the song was very good. Maybe I should have used Jerusalem, by Matisyahu. But I used What I've Done by Linkin Park instead. I really want their newest CD… I also had lots of other ideas for the Genin test. Like a house where they're all stuck on the top floor, and each staircase has stuff that they're really afraid of, or bad memories. In that version, Naruto goes Kyuubi-crazy and busts out of the genjutsu, then proceeds to run away. Same ending though. So yeah. Please review and tell me how much you hate me for taking so long to update. It'll be like… spoiled orange juice? 

-Alexander Abeo


	10. Chapter 9 Renewal of Bonds

The Colors of Nothing and Everything-Chapter 9-Renewal of Bonds

I took a while to start this chapter, but hopefully I'll finish it all in one or two sessions. I always write this beginning A/N before I actually start writing the story, so sometimes it doesn't make much sense. Like the last chapter's B/A/N (Beginning Author's Note). So here's the next chapter (by the way, update times will continue to speed up hopefully).

* * *

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story.

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs [Original Characters (like Atraniveus) that I invent.

* * *

"Hokage-sama!" Sarutobi was taken by surprise when his door exploded inwards, pivoting on it's hinges, and slammed into the section of the wall next to the door frame. One of his newest Jounin, and a newly appointed cell leader, was responsible.

"Naruto is **the** Naruto! And he knows about **it**! And I don't know where he is anymore! He's stronger than an average Genin!" Sarutobi stood and placed the pipe that he had been enjoying on his desk. After motioning for Genma to be quiet, he spoke.

"Do you mean Uzumaki Naruto? He knows about his…tenant?" After a nod from the breathless Genma, he moved to the crystal ball that he had stored in the corner of the room. Whispering, he produced images of the boy on the surface of the ball. He watched in wonder as his heart swelled with joy. Here was Naruto! He had been under his protection for years, without him even noticing! Genma was shocked to hear a hearty laugh burst out of the Sandaime's throat.

* * *

Naruto decided that he could take his time coming back from his newest secret spot. He needed lots of time to let the 'old man' cool down.

'So… did I just hear something, or was that just my imagination?'

Naruto had waited through the night at a cave not far from the lake that always calmed him down. Now the morning was misty, with a light drizzle. The light reflecting off of the mist made Kyuubi more quiet than usual. Life in prison had calmed him down, he thought.

"**I'm pretty sure it was from above,**" Kyuubi responded.

'Was it just a bird?'

"**Use your mind. What bird would fly above us for three hours? We're moving at such a leisurely speed that it could have beaten us back to Konoha. Plus, it's too big to be a regular bird if we can hear it flapping. It's flapping its wings a lot, so I'm guessing that it's holding more than it's natural body weight.**"

'Holy crap, that's amazing! I only realized half of that!'

"**Way to sound stupid.**"

'Well, it's not my fault. You still haven't given me all of your senses.'

"**You should still do something about that thing though.**"

'Okay, let's go wild…'

Naruto surreptitiously glanced at the sky. Through the mist, he could almost make out a giant bird, with a wingspan of a few meters. Though he couldn't see it, he could sense chakra-molding going on, and knew that effort was being taken to hide a person's presence. After some urging by the Kyuubi, he twitched his wrist, allowing three kunai to slide into the fingers of his right hand. After glancing at the sky one more time, he threw all the kunai at once, and immediately performed a dodge roll to the side, into some thicker foliage. He crouched in the cover of a fairly large tree, waiting for signs of a counterattack. After he counted to sixty under his breath, he leaned around the tree and looked towards the sky. He jumped back quickly as a pair of shuriken whirled toward his face. Running through the dense forest, he began to formulate a plan.

'You think that bird can follow us here?'

"**Probably not. You didn't notice anything strange about those?**"

'Why can't you just help me? And about what? You're still not helping!'

"**You know that even your 'sensei', as you so affectionately call him, wouldn't like me helping you.**"

'I know, but I wouldn't be so mad if you broke one or two of his rules for once.'

"**Okay.**" Naruto sensed the intent behind the single word.

'Ok, not that one… Whatever, I'll do it myself, stupid fox.' Naruto cursed under his breath, then slowed to a stop behind another tree. He took slow, deep breaths while he listened for sounds of an approach. After waiting for a small time, he slowly inched away from the tree.

'Again?!' he thought, as more shuriken flew towards him, this time from ground level.

"You're far too easy to trick, Naruto-san. Even after all these years." Naruto's eyes widened after hearing the voice. Bending slowly, he picked up a shuriken that had ricocheted off of the tree. Cupping it in his palm, he counted the points.

'Seven… so he's here…' Fearlessly stepping out from behind the tree, he confronted his pursuer. 'Atraniveus…'

He stood, in a near-copy of his own robe. Naruto knew the differences, even though they weren't visible from his angle. He wasn't wearing anything on his face, and his robe was partially open… he only followed their sensei's regulations while on a 'mission' anyways. That much hadn't changed. His hair was still long: now it was black with white ends. It stretched a little bit farther than his shoulders, and covered his eyes almost completely. His eyes… those were new. The irises were black and gray spirals… what had he done to himself? Through his open robe, he could see black pants with white flame decorations, and a white vest over a black shirt.

'So, he's really here… but he's changed so much… I'll kill him!'

"**Okay, but remember-**"

'Right now, I don't give a shit about sensei's words! I'm going to kill him, and you promised!'

"**…Fine. Brace yourself.**"

Naruto smiled through the pain while the Kyuubi's chakra flowed into him, merging with his own.

Atraniveus simply smiled. "You're still going to try to kill me? I'll enjoy watching you fail… again."

'Kyuubi, give me more.'

"**Shut up, I'm-**"

'Give me **more!**' Naruto's body began to shake as even more chakra entered his body. He heard Kyuubi whimper, and felt a pang of regret for forcing him into giving him more chakra. It was erased, however, when Atraniveus let out a playful laugh.

"I've waited for this day… I've trained for it… I've lived for it… I've prayed for it… I've been ready to die for it! **Today, you will die!**" Naruto lunged at Atraniveus, who was shocked at his speed. He grinned savagely as his bare hands pierced flesh. He launched a bone-breaking kick at his stomach, almost laughing with joy as it connected. Catching up to Atraniveus as he flew through the air, he elbowed his stomach, knocking him into the ground hard enough to make an imprint of his body. Naruto actually laughed this time, at the power flowing through his veins, his triumph, and the knowledge that he would kill the one he had waited to kill for four years today. He slowly walked up to him, and gave him a sharp kick in the side. He bared his teeth in a smile because of the satisfying crunch. Atraniveus rolled over, and began to laugh again.

"Itachi-kun…" He coughed out a sticky globule of blood, "You made it…" He coughed again, and more blood came out of his mouth.

Naruto's blood slowed. He could hear his heartbeat echoing in his head. His red aura of chakra disappeared as he wildly looked around.

"Naruto-san… You're far too easy to trick." Naruto's eyes widened before he was brutally kicked in the head. He saw the body lying on the ground disappear into smoke before closing his eyes in pain.

"Did you really think," Atraniveus began, "Itachi-kun would waste his time helping me find you? He's not even my partner, even though… But, he's too strong for you. There would be no point anyways, since I can beat you myself. That was a nice trick though… how did you get that chakra?" Naruto opened his eyes to see Atraniveus' face up close. He began to gather chakra.

"And you thought you could beat me with it… You couldn't even save sensei. You're just pathetic." Naruto's eyes closed, before opening again, completely differently. Now Atraniveus was looking into eyes that were amethyst, with stunning red pupils.

"At least I tried!" Quickly forming the seals for the jutsu that he had less that one days' practice with, he rolled into a standing position.

"Ryuukaiten no jutsu!" (Dragon Whirl Technique) Naruto was surrounded by rings of chakra, most as far away from him as twenty-five feet. Atraniveus' eyes widened again; before he could form seals he was knocked away, and his clothing was shredded all the way through, leaving a burn around his naval.

"What was that!? Crap, that hurt!" Atraniveus rolled around on the ground, clutching his stomach. Naruto was back on him in a second. Concentrating chakra into his palm, he formed a fiery drill around his hand. With a cry, he thrust it at Atraniveus, who was still lying on the ground. His demonic aura surrounded him again, as strong as before, and strengthened the drill. It connected, and with a spray of blood, pierced all the way through his stomach.

"That was the power of Konoha… and know that it stopped your evil from plaguing the world."

"Sure, whatever… You just got lucky this time." Atraniveus replied weakly. "Those eyes… I've never even heard of them… I'll be sure to report to Zetsu-san…" With a poof, the body disappeared, and was replaced by another. Naruto had no idea who it was, but he recognized the technique.

'He wasn't even here… Why? He should have been here, I should have killed him!'

**"He's still too strong. He knew it too, so he didn't waste time by coming here in person. Basically, you still need to get stronger.**"

'I'm sorry about the chakra situation…'

"**I promised. You don't need to bother yourself about it.**"

'Whatever…'

Naruto surveyed the clearing for a brief moment, deactivated his bloodline limit, and finally fell to his knees, tired from chakra exhaustion. He was forced to shakily stand again when two full squads of ANBU appeared in front of him. Tired, he looked around before hanging his head.

"Uzumaki Naruto," began one of them, "we have been ordered to bring you to Hokage-sama. Are you going to come quietly?" Naruto surveyed their masks. He knew that these were the elite Chuunin and Jounin of the village, and since he was chakra exhausted, he didn't stand a chance.

"I'll go…," Naruto spoke as he looked at the man, "but next time, say my name right."

The ANBU who had spoken to him raised his eyebrow at the words. He had been trained the Hanabi no jutsu by the boy, and recalled his personality. He seemed subdued, but that was understandable. What wasn't were his eyes. They were full of emotion, but seemed… dull, compared to usual. He turned his eyes to the rest of the small clearing. There were definite signs of a scuffle… and a trail of blood. He signaled the two squads, and began to speak.

"Uzumaki-san, Chou's team will take you back to Hokage-sama. You will be restrained, and I expect you to cooperate fully." He then turned at spoke quickly with his own team. Naruto watched as they moved toward the spot where the imposter's body was. He hung his head again, and held out his hands to be bound. He didn't raise his head again until he was in front of the one Jounin that knew him best.

"Naruto, give me your headband."

* * *

Wow, I finally updated. This chapter was planned to be giant, like 3000-4000 words, but it wasn't. So yeah. It was also supposed to be done in 'one or two' sittings. It also wasn't. In the first chapter, I said that I would update like once a week, at least. Crap… It's been like two and a half months. I'm really sorry for the long wait, for you guys who like this story, and I once again promise to improve my update times. I think I was a little bit faster this time… Also, I didn't really notice, but in 10 chapters, I got to about the third or fourth, maybe fifth episode of the anime. I modeled Atraniveus off of my IMVU character. For all it's hassles, it's a pretty fun chat-thingy. I recommend it. So… I hope to update soon… again. Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. (: 


	11. Chapter 10 Staring Down the Skies

The Colors of Nothing and Everything-Chapter 10-Staring Down the Skies

Once again, I went to my mom's house for two weeks, but this time it turned out to be good for the story! I had a chance to pre-write this chapter (not completely, but it'll be enough). So basically, I can type this quickly! I also want to apologize again for taking such long breaks between my updates. Since I have only one story, this should be inexcusable. I also want to thank a reviewer who gave me the mindset to work faster (you know who you are, hopefully). And I want to continue to beg for your reviews, 'cause they really are helpful!

* * *

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story.

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs(Original Characters) that I invent.

* * *

"Naruto, give me your headband."

Naruto looked, guiltily, into the eyes of his Jounin sensei, Shiranui Genma. He could tell from the look that he remembered everything that had happened from the night before his test. There didn't seem to be any mercy in those eyes… He slipped into them, to see what they saw. He was shocked to see himself, changing from the Kyuubi-looking hybrid to an enigma: him dressed in his ninja clothes, the same as on the first day they met. Again, his thoughts conflicted, and he became a Naruto on fire, the flames dancing over his black hair, a glint in his blue eyes. He saw anger, confusion, and the pain of a lie years in the making.

"You know about my eyes, right, Genma-san?" Naruto asked. He received a stiff nod from Genma.

"Well, I can see you, seeing me. I can see how you perceive me. Can I ask you something?" Genma once again nodded.

"Why do you think of me as on fire?"

"I think that you are one of the few people," he said, "who possess the spirit of Konoha, the 'Will of Fire'. You can spread it to others, and you use it to forge new bonds."

"Well, can I say my headband is 'bonded' to me by my 'Will of Fire'?"

There was silence for approximately a second, before Genma exploded.

"That was terrible! Your jokes haven't improved at all! Seriously, do you even try?" Genma looked at the floor, chuckling to himself. Naruto managed a weak grin.

"You really are the same, aren't you?" Genma turned away. "Please… wait outside for a minute."

Naruto left with two ANBU, as the Hokage came in. Genma turned and wiped his eyes before he spoke.

"You were right, Hokage-sama. He is still Ryuusei Naruto, even after what happened… And his kekkai genkai (Bloodline Limit) is really amazing."

"I told you, Genma-san… He is Ryuusei Naruto, an Uzumaki only by blood. He has chosen this path, and we must allow him to follow it to the end. But that doesn't mean that we can't provide company and support along the way. Remember that you are responsible for his life, and from the way it looks, your decisions may affect the whole world of Shinobi. Think of the saying 'Treat others the way you wish to be treated.' But for you, it's more like 'Treat him the way you wish others to be treated.'" The Hokage paused to draw on his pipe.

"Now you have an indirect influence on many who will be affected by his actions. There is no map for the path he walks, and no prediction can be made with certainty about him. I think he is Konoha's maverick ninja, an unpredictable weapon. And he's in your hands."

Never had Genma heard such a steady, adamant speech. The Hokage was more serious than he had ever seen him, speaking in a gravelly voice that was laced with worry and anticipation.

"I'll make sure that Ryuusei Naruto is… guided to the right path. Under my care, I hope that their team will become one of the greatest… and unlike the Legendary Sannin, they will stay united… Naruto's bonds forged from his Will of Fire will not be broken so easily."

* * *

Shikamaru lay in his favorite spot, next to his friend Chouji. The day had passed them so quickly, and the night had been sleepless. Watching the clouds was the only thing that could provide him with the comfort that he needed now. He was glad that Chouji was there too, even though it was not his favorite thing to do.

"I wasn't totally honest with you before…" Shikamaru's eyes widened upon hearing the voice from behind him. He and Chouji both kept their eyes on the sky, but he could recognize the voice anywhere.

"I haven't told you all of my goals… I hope that one day… I will be able to outstare the sky." Shikamaru's eyes closed, and he began to chuckle, in the back of his throat.

"So now you decide to get all symbolic? Naruto, don't give up on your goal for anything… Unless you want us to beat it back into you."

"Okay guys, I'll keep that in mind."

"Just thought you would want to know," spoke Chouji.

* * *

"What do you think of him?" One shadowy figure asked another.

"He has learned new… tricks. There is nothing of consequence though," figure number 2 responded.

"His potential however… it could be a problem," a third figure spoke.

"Only for you… you are the weakest here, Hidan," Spoke another silhouette.

"Shut it, Kakuzu!"

"All you have going for you is that technique."

"Whatever, it's not like he can kill me…"

"You two know better that to argue," spoke yet another figure. "I agree with Hidan though. The boy has grown this strong in two years. We should attack before he can get stronger."

"Itachi and I can bring him… if we are ordered to," ventured the first figure.

"You will stay here until another team gets back. I have been given specific instructions from _him_," spoke the fifth shadow.

"We will comply, Zetsu-san," the second figure said. "Atraniveus was defeated, but he was surprised. He is strong, but not comparable to us… we can let the Kyuubi be for now."

"Whatever…"

"Then we will take our leave." Within seconds, all of the figures had disappeared from the room. The two in the room looked at each other with blank faces.

"Do you want something to drink, Itachi-ikkitousen?" Asked yet another figure, who had recently entered the room.

"Itachi, I still don't know why he bothers with such long honorifics… or why you keep him around."

"No thank you, Atraniveus." Itachi answered, pointedly ignoring his teammate's statement.

"Ok, Itachi-wakadaishou. I will ask again in one hour's time." Atraniveus turned and left the room.

"See! He did it again. And what really scares me is he always comes back in exactly an hour! I even timed it once!"

"Kisame," Itachi sighed, "Atraniveus is my responsibility, and he is of no concern to you. My reasons for keeping him here are… complicated. Chuuten is a special case."

"Chuuten?"

"I meant Atraniveus."

Kisame's face took on a grin. It was extremely rare for Itachi to let slip information like this.

"So, is that his surname?"

"No…" Itachi's face was still emotionless. "Atraniveus is not his real name. It is a chosen one."

"Ahh… I thought it sounded strange. But then again, he is strange, so I thought it fit him."

"The thing is… we are very similar, he and I. I see something between us that I haven't seen since Shisui."

"Really?"

"Yes… I hope he does not disappoint me when the time comes."

* * *

Genma grinned as his students recoiled from his sudden appearance.

"Okay, guys! I called you here because we're going on another mission! Everybody cheer!" Genma pumped his fist in the air, while his students sweat-dropped. Since their sensei's Jounin sensei career had began two weeks ago, he seemed overenthusiastic about, well… everything.

"Come on! These 'ninja' missions are crap! When are we going to get something cool?" Naruto had been very bored with the missions. Genma had a tendency to pick the most challenging manual-labor and retrieval missions, and the most mundane ones available.

"Shut up Naruto! We need to do these missions to…" Even Ino had lost the concept of the missions. She had been boiling over on the inside, but she still took the chance to oppose Naruto whenever she could.

"I'm fine with it… it's almost like training. But easier…" Chouji was frustrated with some missions, but he made it a point to make the best out of the situation.

"What a drag… Either way, missions suck. These are too easy, and the harder ones require too much effort. Can't we just take a break?" Shikamaru was torn between the problems of both types of missions.

"Jeeze… You guys can't show any enthusiasm, can you?" Genma rubbed the back of his head, a gesture that had been quite common for him since he became a Genin.

"I'll see what I can do in the way of a… bigger mission, then."

"Thank you Genma-sensei!" Naruto and Ino chorused.

* * *

"Well, we do have one more mission that you could probably do… please come in now." A sliding door opened, revealing a youthful-looking civilian. The man looked about twenty years old, and he had bright blond hair, not too unlike Ino's.

"So, these guys are all real ninjas? Cool!" All of Team 10 sweat-dropped.

"This is Kenichi Yuuzora. You are going on a C-rank mission to protect him. He needs you to escort him back to his home village of Byakko-ka."

"So… you're from Iwa?" Naruto asked.

"Why, yes I am! How did you know?" Kenichi exclaimed.

'Should I say lucky guess? That I've heard of it? Or maybe I should tell the truth…' Naruto quickly decided.

"Umm… I've been there, that's all."

"That's great!" Kenichi shouted. "I wasn't expecting us to have so much in common!" Once again, Team 10 sweat-dropped.

"Well, let's… GO!!!" Kenichi began to run out of the room, only to slam into a block being carried by two Shinobi.

"Hey Kotetsu, Izumo." Genma waved.

"Hey Genma." Kotetsu said.

"Genma, do you know this guy?" Izumo asked.

"I wish I didn't…"

* * *

"So Genma-san, when are we gonna get there?" Genma put his hand on his forehead for what must have been the thirtieth time since they started on their way to Byakko-ka.

"We'll be there eventually. Just stop asking please, Ken-san." He hadn't been this aggravated in years, he thought.

* * *

"Anyone want to play a game? We can play I spy, or 20 questions!" Ken exclaimed while waving his hands in dramatic gestures.

"Umm, Ken-san, we already said we didn't want to play a game with you. We've got to look out for you, so we can't be playing games." Ino lectured him, while the rest of the team sighed. They had only been on the road for a day, and from the start of the second, they had been on their breaking point. Shikamaru personally thought about taking an extreme detour to get earplugs, but, sadly, the mission came first. So for now, they had to put up with their clients playful and optimistic personality. But he could deal with that.

"So how about we play that one game, you know, where you…"

Maybe he couldn't.

"…read the signs, and spell out the alphabet…"

'This is really… troublesome.'

* * *

"Welcome to Byakko-ka!" Kenichi declared proudly.

"Wow…" Chouji breathed out. He hadn't been expecting this when they talked about a village. On his side of the street, there were abundant gift shops, restaurants, and even a barbershop. On the other side, there was a fancy restaurant, a somewhat shady- looking pawnshop, and a store that sold ninja tools.

Naruto nodded. "Yep, this is it. Hasn't changed much though." He took a look around, as his stomach grumbled. He slowly leaned forward, until he and Chouji were looking at each other across Genma and Ken and nodded. Chouji nodded back. Chouji grabbed Shikamaru's and Genma's elbows, while Naruto got Ken's and Ino's. Firmly, the six of them moved in a beeline for the fancy-looking restaurant.

"Genma-sensei…" Chouji began.

"Since this has been such a big mission…" Naruto continued.

"And since we made it here so safely…"

"Can you buy us dinner please?!" They chorused right as they walked through the door.

Genma sighed and put his palm on his face again. 'Do I really have a choice?' he asked himself, as a cheery waitress appeared to seat them.

* * *

"So, now that we're all broke," Genma hadn't had enough to pay for the meal, "shouldn't we take Ken-san to… where should we take you, ken-san?"

"Umm… I guess the big guy's place."

"Where might that be, Ken-san?" Genma was recalling a frustrating person from about two years ago, who had been similarly vague, and had made him almost as aggravated as he was now.

"Well, since it was there," Ken pointed, "the last time I checked, it's probably still there." Genma looked in the direction that he had pointed to see a large, Hokage Tower-style building standing in the center of town.

"That's huge!" Ino stood in shock of the tower.

"Really, how did we not even notice that?"

'Something is up with this town. They have a ninja store, a giant tower that happens to be bigger than our Hokage's, and I've never even heard of it.' Genma surreptitiously glanced at Naruto. 'Why do I get the feeling that you're connected to all of this somehow?'

"So Ken-san," Naruto began, "who is the 'big guy' now?"

"Oh, his name is Pennipes. He's been around for about a year now, and he's doing well." He paused for a second. "Naruto-san, are you ok?"

'God, not Pennipes…'

* * *

Yippee!! I updated after two months of inactivity! I wrote about half of this in two separate one-day periods, with about a month in between them. I'm a little stretched for ideas that won't have to wait ten chapters to start. So maybe I'll do a time-skip again, and blow over the Chuunin exams (everyone knows what happens anyways, right?) Not much will change probably. That way I can start writing new stuff! Also, I realize when reading over this, Pennipes sounds sorta like a mafia boss. Seriously, 'big guy'? What was I thinking? Still, school started, I had my birthday (I'm 15 now!), and a lot of stuff has happened since I last updated. Thank you all for reading, and I look forward to writing the next chapter much faster than this one (I got's some i-dee-yas). Well, please review, and I'll see you in my next A/N! Bye!

-Alexander Abeo


	12. Chapter 11 Revelations of Character

The Colors of Nothing and Everything-Chapter 11-Revelations of Character

This should become my first 'fast' update in while, and hopefully the first of many. I'm still taking longer than a week though, and I'm not happy with that. I doubt anybody reads these, but I'm really sorry about how long it takes me to upload new chapters. But, that should all change soon. Hopefully. Plus, in this chapter, I changed the flashback transitions. After you read, tell me how you liked them or didn't in a review! They're gonna be pretty weird. Oh well… read, and please review if you can!

* * *

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story.

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs(Original Characters) that I invent.

* * *

'Pennipes…'

* * *

"Yeah, I'm fine," Naruto said as Ken poked his forehead.

"Well, let's get going then." Genma began to make his way to the tower, followed by his team and Kenichi.

Once they reached the tower, the secretary directed them to, strangely, the fifth floor. The group walked up the cramped spiral stairs in single-file, and entered a waiting room with a single door in the center wall(the tower is round-ish), where they took their seats. Looking out the window, Chouji mused about how Pennipes would be. A short, old man? Or maybe he would be a younger person, even taller than Genma-sensei. The possibilities were almost endless for him, since Kenichi didn't mention anything about his looks or personality.

Ino silently fumed about the waiting time. She thought back to her first encounter with Naruto after the 'incident'.

* * *

...'.tedicni' eht retfa oturaN... ...".neht gniog teg s'tel ,lleW"... ... ... (Flashback)

* * *

Genma rubbed the back of his head. He'd made it a habit since he became a Genin, simply feeling the plate on his home-made forehead protector. He was so proud that he became a ninja, he had felt it constantly, reaffirming his position as _Genin of Konoha_. Now he wasn't sure he should have gone as far as Jounin. Now, during their first team meeting since their Genin exam, he was afraid of the possible conflict brewing between Ino and Naruto. He could sympathize... How often is it that one of your teammates asks you to kill him?

* * *

Naruto slowly walked to the team meeting. He had avoided Ino since he came back to the village, but he couldn't any longer. When he arrived at their designated meeting area, he let loose a sigh of relief that Genma was the only one there. He shyly approached him, and sat down nearby, propped up against a rock.

"So, Genma-sensei... what was up with that yesterday? Were you really going to take my headband?"

"Yes, I was going to." Naruto deadpanned at the blunt answer.

"Then why are we still a team?" He asked.

"The Hokage thought it would be the best for you. Besides, you all have great potential, and you three guys can't hide your strength very well." Naruto nodded morosely, as Shikamaru and Chouji came into view of the training area and meeting spot, still a while off.

"It's not nice to talk about us while we aren't here, Genma-sensei." Chouji said with a smirk on his face, when they drew in closer.

"How did you...?" Genma asked, puzzled.

"Easily." Shikamaru responded, also with a smirk.

Genma put his hand on his forehead. "You guys are... so annoyingly troublesome. I'm guessing that this jokester," he pointed at Naruto, "taught you that."

"Yep," Naruto said with a smile. The smile wore off when he saw Ino at Genma's knee level.

Ino arrived rather normally, until she saw Naruto. Her eyes hardened, and she slid her hand into her kunai holster. Naruto was up and running before she threw the first kunai.

"Get back here you..." She yelled until she was cut off by Genma.

"Ino, watch your tongue, or I'll make you wish you had."

Ino growled. "I was just going to call him a SON OF A MOTHER-F...!" Shikamaru clapped his hand over Ino's mouth before she could continue.

"Don't you remember what he would do back in the Academy?" Ino recalled the tireless story-telling, going on for hours in detention. "Think about what he could do now!" Ino closed her mouth tightly, deathly afraid of horribly-written novels being read to her.

"Fine." She let out. "I'll just go find him then." She began to run after Naruto, who was, probably, on the other side of the village by now.

Genma sighed. "I'll go get them."

* * *

"You guys are going to sit here until you can get over it." Genma spoke in front of the two tied-up Genin. Ino was furiously glaring at Naruto, while he looked up at Genma.

"You know, I'm only here because I want to be." He said, as the ropes fell off his arms. "Could you leave us alone for a minute, Genma-sensei?" Genma sighed again, nodded, and left the area.

"Ino... I'm sorry about what I did and said. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course, Naruto." Naruto's eyes brightened as he turned to Ino.

"Really?"

"Hell no!" Ino shouted at him, trying to break out of her bindings.

"God... there's no need to shout at me..." Naruto pouted, as Ino yelled at him some more.

"You're such an idiot! Why did I have to be teamed up with the weird kid?! You're such an emo, and so stupid, trying to act cool! And--"

"I'll help you train." Naruto interrupted her suddenly.

"W-what?"

"I can't take back what I said, nor apologize for it... yet. But I can prove myself wrong. I'll train you, and you'll get strong, like Shikamaru and Chouji are."

Ino sat with her chin against her chest, thinking.

"I'll think about it... and for now, I won't try to kill you. Can you go get Genma-sensei now? I really don't like these ropes..." Jubilant at his small victory, Naruto stepped around the boulder they were next to to get Genma.

* * *

"...going on another mission! Everybody cheer!"... "...have so much in common!"... ... ...

* * *

Of course, now they were on more decent terms... and she was beginning to seriously consider his offer. She would need a good demonstration of how good he really was before accepting or declining though. Idly, she drummed her fingers against the arm of her chair, staring into the nothingness of the white wall.

Shikamaru had different thoughts, mainly focusing on Kenichi.

'Who is this guy, anyways? His town is very different than any one that I've been to outside of Konoha... And he really had no apparent reason to hire us for this short trip. Something is off about all of this...' He leaned back in his chair, while subtly making his favorite thinking symbol, a circle, with his fingers.

Genma also had deep thoughts, remembering the Naruto from his academy days. He always saw him sitting in a closely knit group, consisting of Shikamaru, Chouji, and Shino. Less often, another student would sit with them, usually either Yatchu or Kiba. The 'taboo child' and the young Inuzuka would have the most fun, and biggest reason to sit with them, when they would work on physical projects during class time.

* * *

'...tnereffid yrev si nwot siH'... ..."em evah syug uoY"... "...retne esealP .ijuohC ihcimikA"... ... ...

* * *

"So, Naruto, what brilliant idea do you have today?" Shikamaru asked.

"Well, you know how we've got to make a distraction-thingy?" Seeing Chouji, Shikamaru, and Shino nod, he continued. "I've got the perfect idea! Just do what I say, and we'll be fine! I'll be right back!"

"Iruka-sensei?" Iruka looked up from his paper work, into Naruto's face. He smiled and spoke.

"Yes Naruto?" He thought of Naruto as one of his favorite students, and knew that many of the other teachers thought so too.

"Do you think we could work outside until our project is done? It might be a little big, so we'll need room to work on it..." Iruka thought for a little bit, and nodded.

"Thank you Iruka-sensei!" With that, Naruto almost ran back to his friends, who began to pack up and move out to the training area of the Academy.

Genma, who was watching, decided to comment. "Do you really think that that was wise, knowing Naruto?" Iruka sweat-dropped and began to chuckle.

* * *

"Okay, guys, here's what we need to do..." Naruto removed a set of scrolls from his Bag of Tricks, as he liked to call it. He handed one to Chouji, one to Shikamaru, two to Shino, and kept one for himself. "Just follow the instructions in the scrolls, to the letter. If you need any help or anything, don't hesitate to ask." With that, he turned around, walked a short distance away, and gave out an evil laugh, before opening his scroll. Shino, Chouji, and Shikamaru looked at each other, shrugged, and opened their scrolls.

* * *

"Naruto... Why do we need 'thirteen blue balloons, w/ polka dots'?" Naruto sweat-dropped.

"Shino, that's 'with'." Shino gave a curt nod.

"I know, I was just quoting. But why thirteen polka dotted balloons?" Naruto sighed.

"They've got to be blue, Shino. Not just any color. Now please, get back to work." Shino sighed, and went back to his spot.

* * *

"So, are we done now?" It had taken them about an hour to assemble all needed items.

"Yes... I'll put it together, so you can wait inside." Naruto said with a smile.

"Whatever... we're finally done." As Shikamaru, Shino, and Chouji went inside, Naruto cracked his knuckles and began to work.

* * *

"So, your project is outside?" Genma asked the three of them.

"Yeah, and Naruto should be done by now." Iruka sighed.

'I can't believe they're letting him work unsupervised...'

"Well, you're the only ones who still have to go, so let's get out there. Everyone, please follow us."

As they walked through the hallways, the trio couldn't help but share nervous looks with one another. Had it been right to leave Naruto alone? They soon reached the double doors to the outside training area, where they paused for a second.

"Everyone..." Shino began.

"We would like to present..." Chouji continued, according to Naruto's plan.

"Our project." Shikamaru spoke, before opening the doors with Shino.

* * *

Naruto stood and admired his work, while he waited to hear the introduction. When he heard it, he channeled the approximate amount of chakra needed, and stood in a dramatic pose. The doors opened, and the project was revealed...

* * *

Shikamaru couldn't believe it. All of their work had vanished. No matter where he looked around the field, he couldn't see any sign of the materials he had collected, just Naruto in an idiotic, over-exaggerated pose. Just when he couldn't take it anymore, something amazing happened. The scene before him, which was painted on a canvas, was rising into the air, tied to multiple balloons, revealing the fruits of their labor. He could see pipes running throughout the whole structure, which was constructed out of a white material. The class and teachers began walking towards the... thing.

'Wow...' Shikamaru thought. 'He didn't make something stupid, dangerous, _or_ broken! Wait a minute... this is Naruto...'

Suddenly, and without any warning, a ball of fire shot out of the top of the 'thing'. Contrary to Shikamaru's thinking, the group of students laughed and clapped. When the ball exploded in the air, even more applause came from the students. The 'thing' shot out another fireball, which was still well received. What only Shikamaru, Chouji, and Shino noticed, was a strange mechanical clicking coming from the 'thing'.

* * *

Naruto gave an evil-ish giggle. He had to get an A on this, even a Jounin and a Chuunin didn't notice what was going on.

* * *

Out of nowhere, a balloon filled with paint shot out of one of the pipes on the 'thing'. It hit the ground directly in front of the students, splattering them with paint. Another shot out, this time aimed higher. With screams, students began scattering over the area, now under fire from multiple balloons from most of the pipes on the 'thing'. Naruto was rolling with laughter now, having deliberately made a small 'safe' area, where the balloons didn't get near. Shino watched as Sasuke, Yatchu, and Sakura were hit by paint, being too slow to dodge the high-speed balloons. With an explosion, however, the 'thing' fell apart, with Genma and Iruka standing on top, both with only mild paint splatters on them.

* * *

"Why did you have to destroy it?! I was going to take that home and use it!" Naruto was on the floor now, bound with rope.

"That thing was dangerous! Imagine if those fireballs misfired!" Iruka scolded Naruto, while Genma leaned back in a chair. Shino, Shikamaru, and Chouji sat in desks behind Naruto, with neutral expressions.

"Did you three have any part in this?" Iruka asked them.

"He gave us separate instructions," Shikamaru began, "so we wouldn't have any idea what we were building." Iruka nodded, and turned to Genma.

"So, Genma-san... What do you think their grade should be?" He asked.

"A." He said while looking over them.

"But--" Iruka spoke, flabbergasted.

"They managed to distract us, ninja many times above their level with that thing. Besides, remember the 'peace sign'? We gave them a C for that, even though it required almost no effort, while this thing took about twice as long to build as anyone else's. Plus, the construction involved must have been very complex... It deserves an A."

Iruka sighed, with his hand on his forehead. "I see your point. Fine then... But don't you," He pointed to Naruto, "try anything like this again."

"Heck yes, an A!"

* * *

..."I'm going to go train now"... ..."That was terrible! Your jokes..."... ... ...

* * *

'I wonder if he ever remade that thing...' He thought, until, miraculously, the door finally opened.

"Please come in." Slowly, the group stood up and entered the door.

"Welcome, everyone!" A man said, about a second before he was hug-tackled by Ken.

"I missed you Pennipes!" The Konoha ninja looked on silently as a fight raged behind the desk, mainly with Pennipes trying to get away from Kenichi. Eventually, a truce was called, and Team 10 got their first look at the leader of Byakko-ka. He was young, younger than most of them pictured him to be. Probably... 15 years old, at best. He had dull blond hair, in a longer ponytail than Ino's. Blonde hair was common in this city apparently, but Pennipes' looked... unnatural. He also had shining green eyes, that darted through each of their faces. He looked to be around five-and-a-half feet tall, maybe taller. Overall, he looked normal, but Genma felt a mistrust for the teenager already.

"So, you're Team 10, right?" Everyone nodded.

"Let me see if I can get your names right... You," he pointed at Ino, "are obviously Yamanaka Ino, from what I can infer about your beautiful description I received." Ino blushed a little bit, even though she wasn't sure if the sentence was grammatically correct. She nodded, and Pennipes continued down the line.

"Then you must be..." he pointed at Shikamaru, "Akimichi Chouji!" Shikamaru sweat-dropped, before pointing to Chouji.

"I'm very sorry... Nara Shikamaru-san?" Pennipes said as nervously itched the back of his head. 'I hope Ino-san doesn't realized that I guessed for her...'

"So," Pennipes continued, as he pointed his finger at Chouji, "you must be Chouji-san! My apologies for the misunderstanding..."

"It's no problem, Pennipes-sama..." Pennipes laughed before talking again.

"There's no need for the formalities, Chouji-san." He pointed quickly to Genma. "Judging by your age and equipment, I would say that you are Shiranui Genma!"

"At least you got me right..." Pennipes looked at the floor and sighed loudly.

"Ok, and you, behind Genma-san... I would hazard a guess that you are Ryuusei Naruto, but I can't see you." Genma stepped out of the way, to allow Pennipes a clear view of Naruto. In a flash of red, Naruto disappeared, leaving the rest of the room in shock.

'That technique...! What's he doing here? Is he really with them?' Pennipes thought.

"Naruto! Where'd he go?" Genma, Shikamaru, and Chouji were noticeably more shaken than Ino, but Kenichi was concerned enough to shout.

"Does your student usually disappear like this, Genma-san?" Pennipes asked, already recovered his cool demeanor from his shock.

Genma glared at him. "I know I should be respectful, but I would like you to shut up now." His feeling of uneasiness increased again.

"I think Naruto must have had this planned already... He had to gather chakra for a long time to do a jutsu without handseals that quickly. He definitely didn't want to be here for some reason..." Shikamaru's thoughts were betrayed by his quick glance at Pennipes.

'That would be like him... Teneo, what are you up to?'

"Pennipes-san, can you report to Konoha that we've completed our mission? While you do, we will search for Naruto, if that's acceptable." Genma said.

"I would rather wait until your fifth member was found. I would not want to lie to Konoha about your status," Pennipes said, "only to have it end up that you don't find Naruto-san. But you are welcome to look in the city for him."

Genma sighed, and gave a nod of thanks to Pennipes.

"Genma-sensei... I'll team with Chouji, and you can go with Ino. In groups, we will have an increased chance of finding him." Shikamaru quickly spoke.

"Thanks, but that's what I was going to do anyways, lazy-head." Shikamaru glared at Genma, who smiled in his head at his quick thinking. Chouji, though, almost laughed out loud at the plain... stupidness of the new nickname.

"Well then, I'll leave you four to find him... Good luck." Pennipes said, before dismissing them. Once his secretary reported that they had left the building, he began to speak again.

"Ken-kun... would you please get me my equipment?"

* * *

Naruto cursed in his head as he jumped over alleyways..

'Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did I try something that risky? And after that, I still haven't seen him!'

"**Why **_**did**_** you try something that risky though? What are you playing at, brat?**"

'If Pennipes is here, then the weapon that sensei had him hide must still be here!'

"**So what? I don't even remember him using it.**"

'But don't you remember the meeting that we had about it? Almost everyone was there.'

"**I've got to sleep sometime, kit. I'm not going to remember everything you do.**"

Naruto sighed. 'Well, he explained it's purpose. He couldn't use it, but I'll tell you that we can.'

"**So why would we want to use it anyways?**"

'You're asking a lot of questions today... I'll tell you when we get it. For now, I'll have you know that it'll be like a gift for letting me use your chakra all the time. Well, not really a gift, but it will make it easier for you.'

"**Whatever...** **Do what you want... Just don't get killed.**"

'Yeah, love you too, Kyuubi.' He giggled when, as usual, growing came from the back of his conscious. After a little while, he came to a stop on the roof of a hotel.

'Here's a good a place as any, I guess.'

Holding his hand in the air, he whispered "Hanabi no jutsu..." and grinned as the fireworks leapt from his outstretched arm. He immediately began running in another direction.

* * *

Pennipes tensed as he saw fireworks light up the slowly darkening sky. Within them, he could just barely make out the number 3.

"Look at the fireworks, Pennipes-sama!" Kenichi had his face pressed up against the glass of the waiting room window, and his eyes were sparkling with excitement.

'Is this part of some plan of yours, Teneo?'

* * *

"Genma-sensei, you've got to see this!" Ino pointed at the sky, just a little bit above a billboard advertising shaving cream.

"Thanks Ino, that might be him..." Genma pressed a button on his headset to converse with Shikamaru.

'Naruto can make something that... beautiful? With how he is, I wouldn't think he had it in him...'

"Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji are already moving there. Let's go!" Shaking her head to loosen her thoughts, Ino followed Genma over the buildings.

* * *

Pennipes had paid attention, and saw both of the other jutsu go off. He could see the dots that were Team 10 scramble to the sources. After 2 and 1, he felt that he got the message. So what was the next one going to say? Suddenly, it exploded, high above the town. Within, 'Byakko' was spelled in a flurry of green lights. With a sudden realization, Pennipes dashed out of the tower, through an open window. He had pre-warned Ken, so he would take care of any issues that came up. For now though, he had one focus: Teneo.

* * *

I figure that that's a good enough cliffhanger... This is my longest chapter ever! Woohoo! I'm sorry I took so long to upload (again), even though I promised a lot of you reviewers a quick update. I still have a lot of pre-written material... I'm going to make most chapters this long, since the story-line picks up from here on out. So, how did everyone like the flashback transitions? If you review, you could tell me... ) So yeah, I'm going to update faster, and get back on the ball! I started playing Gods of Time, by the way, so everyone should try it! It's at Godsoftime dot com, and my name there is Abeo. I would really like to meet some of the people who read my story there... So, I'll update soon! Bye!

-Alexander-Abeo


	13. Chapter 12 Flaky Gilding

The Colors of Nothing and Everything-Chapter 12-Flaky Gilding

Funny story. That wasn't my first fast update out of many. I'm really sorry again! Like, really really really sorry. I've been distracted by new story ideas (like for original fiction), new fanfiction ideas, and Coheed and Cambria (who rock). It's been about half a year since I updated, but it might turn out to be good for you guys. I've had time to think of new plot lines, twists, and branches. If that makes sense to any of you. I'm a beta reader now (yay!). It's basically to help me get motivated and writing. Also, sorry for the weird chapter title. Even after all the time I had this sitting in my computer, I hadn't figured out a good one. Sorry 'bout that. So, yeah. Enough with this though. I'm really really sorry again. Please forgive me!

--

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto, Naruto's storyline, Naruto's characters, or anything affiliated with Naruto. I'm just using them without profit or gain to write a fictional story.

Claimer- I own this storyline, and any OCs(Original Characters) that I invent.

--

Ino stewed over their current assignment. After the new explosions had gone off, the team had split up to each spot. She had gotten the... pleasure... of chasing after the last one.

'Stupid Naruto... Making us chase all these stupid lights. But they are nice to look at... But God, I hate him! And he's being so childish, running off again!' Her thoughts drifted as she thought back to the first time he ran away. She ran quickly and silently towards the explosion area.

'Hum... Naruto probably isn't even near the spot where the explosion exploded. Probably off somewhere, hiding and giggling to himself. I wonder what he does in his free time. Except training. Hmm...' She reached the site, and took a quick glance around.

'I know it happened near here, cause this is that water tower I saw. He's not anywhere near though. Well, what do I do know?!' Ino fumed as she stood with her arms crossed under the water tower.

--

'I wonder when he'll finally get here. Will he have changed as much as Atraniveus?' Naruto sat idly, musing about the leader of Byakko-ka. 'Is his job like the Hokage's? I wonder if the old man is still mad at me...'

--

... "...pu tuhs ot uoy ekil dluow I..." ... "...yad eno taht epoh I..." ...

--

"Naruto." The Hokage clipped the name out of his mouth sharply.

"Hokage-sama." The two ninja looked at each other across the room.

The Hokage began to speak.

"Naruto, you are... did you know that..." Sarutobi cleared his throat. "Information in ninja villages is essential to the smooth running of the village. Lying about important information such as one's name, country of origin, and skill level is a serious crime, usually punished with death, or, in less extreme cases, exile from the village. Shinobi villages are so harsh on this issue because their economies depend on citizens and shinobi from outside the village coming to be Konoha ninja. Not every ninja of ours is from here. If there was no foreign help, our shinobi population would never increase, or it might even decrease. Now, if the council were to know about this, no doubt exists in my mind that they would choose your death over exile. So... I'm not going to tell them." Naruto, who had been attentively listening, raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, you're wondering why I would do this for you. Of course, I don't know what will happen if you die, but, more importantly, I remember you before you left. You were so open, excitable, and happy, in your way. When you left, all of my hopes had been crushed. I used to imagine you becoming a shinobi, completing your first mission, and even becoming Hokage. Daydreams that a man in my position shouldn't have had, but I couldn't help it. I'm certain that even _he_ would be crushed by your... disappearance. Still, you're back now, changed, but still similar. And I've got one more thing to say to you... Don't get in trouble again." The old man dismissed him silently, contemplating his future.

--

..."...it's almost like training." ... "...how did we not even notice that?" ...

--

Naruto thought about it, but his musings were cut short when a voice called out his name.

"Teneo! Long time, no see. How's Konoha been treating you?" Naruto looked at a rock outcropping to see Pennipes idly sitting with his legs dangling over the edge. With his spiky, lightning bolt bangs and long ponytail, he was standing out quite a bit.

"I've been fine, Pennipes. How've you been here?" Naruto asked the boy.

"Things have been going great, actually. Ken-kun is the only person in the village that even knows I'm a ninja, or how young I am. It's a pretty good deal." Pennipes smirked, irritating the demon container. "I've led the village into prosperity as a trading town, so my position is in no peril. And of course, a simple henge is a most wonderful disguise. And speaking of disguises... what's up with Naruto?"

"It's my real name..." Naruto stopped talking when Pennipes burst into laughter.

"Did your parents hate you or something? What kind of drug-induced name is Naruto?"

Naruto scowled as Pennipes' laugh continued. A churning feeling developed in his stomach.

"**Uh, boy.**" The Kyuubi spoke.

'What is it, fox?'

"**Something is going on down here.**"

'Well, take care of it then!' Naruto said angrily.

"**I don't think you understand what I say when I say **_**something**_**.**"

Naruto's face drained of its color. He shook his head to get his appearance back to normal, then fervently continued his conversation with the demon.

'You mean something as in _that_ something?! Why is that something happening?'

"**I'm not sure, kit. It might just be the familiar surroundings getting him riled. Wrap it up with the joker before something bad happens.**" Naruto nodded, then looked up at Pennipes, who had stopped laughing.

"Hey _Naruto_, you still in there? Spacing out isn't the smartest thing to do."

"Pennipes! You know what I want from you. Let's cut to the chase. Give me the Byakko."

"Teneo, you know I'm not going to do that." Pennipes' tone changed from playful to serious in an instant.

"Why won't you?"

"Because you don't deserve it, for one."

In a flash, Naruto was behind Pennipes. Striking out with his foot, he hit Pennipes in the back. As he fell off the ledge, Naruto jumped off the ledge, onto his back, driving him into the ground with his knee. Naruto pushed off the ground, and landed a little ways away.

"If anyone deserves the Byakko, it's me." Naruto watched as the clone dissolved into mud. Having expected it, he waited for a sign of motion. Shuriken exploded from behind him, giving him everything he needed. The shuriken hit him at the same moment he tackled Pennipes to the ground and placed a kunai at his neck. As the Naruto in the rocky clearing exploded into smoke, the real one glared into Pennipes' eyes.

"You'll take me to the weapon now." He quickly got up and slid the kunai up his sleeve with a quick motion. Leaning against a wall of rock, he waited for Pennipes to be ready.

'He was... he was so fast.' Pennipes thought, wide-eyed on the ground. Shaking, he began to stand up. Once he was on his feet, he glared at Naruto.

"Fine, but I'm just doing this so you'll leave. I'm sick of having you in my town already. This way, _Naruto_."

--

Ino sat against the iron base of the water tower. Occasionally, she would glance around, but she spent most of her time looking bored and annoyed.

"_Anyone see the brat?_" She heard buzzing over Team 10's radio frequency.

"_Negative._" All the voices answered. There was a sigh over the radio.

"_Well, we're going to have to spread out and search for him. Shikamaru, I want you to--_" Genma's voice began to crackle. Ino glanced at the main unit on her hip, and saw the flashing red light that indicated a low battery.

"Genma-sensei, my radio is dying. I can hardly hear you," She spoke into her mouthpiece.

"_Ino, stay put. I'll come get you, and we'll just team together,_" Genma said over the connection.

"Ok, I'll be waiting at the water tower at my area." Ino reached down to shut off her radio at the same time her battery died.

"Well, that's great," She muttered to herself. She stood up and propped herself against the water tower, while scanning the horizon. She blinked twice as a pair of ninja flew past her, only three streets away.

'Was that... Naruto! What is he doing...' Rather than shout for his attention, Ino decided to simply follow him discreetly. 'Genma-sensei is going to get here soon... but if I wait, I'm going to lose track of him. God damnit! Naruto, I'm going to kill you once I find out what you're doing!'

Ino sped after the ninja.

--

20 minutes, 5 decorative doors, and countless curses (courtesy of the kunoichi) later, Naruto and Pennipes were strolling down a corridor. Naruto knew that he was far underground, if only because his sensei had told him that the area was far underground the last time he had walked through the passage. He walked just a few feet behind Pennipes, keeping his stride and speed equal to his. He had counted the doors, and knew that only two more were ahead. Pennipes had a special key for them, a large stone key, in fact, that he carried with him at all times. They left the doors unlocked, since there were no keyholes on their side.

"**Kit, it's seriously not looking good down here. He's already pushed past the first seal. He's definitely awake now.**" Naruto closed his eyes for a second, and his surroundings were suddenly displaced by a giant cage with a tiny paper seal. He approached the bars, and crossed his arms.

"What's your best assessment?" He asked the demon standing in the cage.

"It doesn't look good at all. Like I said, he's already broken the first seal, and he's going to make it out soon. I don't know if the Fourth's other seal is going to work the way he intended it to." The man-shaped Kyuubi stated softly.

"You never really explained how that works anyways. And everything else worked, why wouldn't it?"

"Child, the Yondaime had low opinions of me. Or maybe he was just concerned for you. Anyways, he made that seal on your chest. After you noticed it, I gave you a brief description of it, identifying it as a personification seal. I guess I should elaborate. The Yondaime created that seal for a situation where I managed to break out of his first seal. It would force me into a human body that expressed my essence, much like the form I'm in now. He's going to be able to break out with barely any trouble. It wasn't made to hold him back, just me. And because of that, there are going to be issues..." Kyuubi trailed off.

"Do I really want to hear about them?" Naruto asked with a sigh.

"You probably will. He's going to need a piece of me to get through the seal. It's just the way it's designed. He'll use me to slip past the seal, no problem. And he'll be able to use whatever power he drags out of you and me."

"Well, that's just great. Why did we have to get this mission... He hasn't even been stirring since I've been in Konoha..." Naruto leaned against a bar and rested his eyes.

"Kit, you better get going. You're getting close to the weapon, and you don't want to be in here when he wakes up."

"Ok, Kyuubi. Before I leave though, I'm kind of curious. Why would Yondaime-sama... _personify_ you?"

The Kyuubi gave a chuckle.

"Kit, considering his mindset... It was designed to limit my power and trap me in a human body. He designed it so that you could kill me if I ever escaped."

Naruto was silent for a minute, eyes closed.

"If... no, _when_ he gets out... Let's give him hell." Naruto opened his eyes and glared down the corridor where he could see dark chakra gathering already.

As he regained sense of his surroundings, he noticed Pennipes giving him an odd look. He paid no mind to him. His speed must have subconsciously increased, since he was now walking next to the shinobi. He and Pennipes approached the last decorative door, and he slid the key into the lock.

"Here we are, Teneo. Take the Byakko, and show yourself out." Pennipes glared at the jinchuriki before striding angrily away.

"Jerk..." Naruto muttered under his breath as he watched him. Holding a hand on his stomach lightly, he turned towards a pedestal in the middle of the room. Sitting simply on the pedestal was the Byakko.

Naruto heard a growl from the Kyuubi.

"**What is the meaning of this? Where is the weapon?**"

'Keep your pants on, fox. You just don't know what to look for.' Naruto walked to the pedestal, and placed his hand on the hunk of metal placed there.

"**So this is it? This is what you were after when you pulled your little **_**stunt**_**? All of those... theatrics... You just ruined the trust you built up from your last screw-up! All for a block of metal!**" Naruto's eyebrows quirked.

'Kyuubi. Calm down, just focus on keeping yourself safe.'

"**Sorry, I'm just worried. Kit, he's breaking out now. I'm not sure what condition I'll be in when he's gone, but you should be ok. Brace yourself!**" Naruto's eyes widened as he blacked out.

--

Ino waited outside of the mysterious tunnel set in the side of a cliff that she had seen Naruto and the other ninja go into. As footsteps slowly tapped up the stairs that descended from the mouth of the tunnel, she jumped around the corner of a nearby rock. Subtly (in her mind, at least) she looked around the rock to see Pennipes exit the structure, before he jumped at an unbelievable speed towards her.

"Yamanaka Ino... Why were you following your dear teammate and me?" Pennipes asked with a calculating gaze and cold smirk.

"I just... wanted to..." Ino was more scared than she had ever been, more than she had ever thought she would be.

"Oh. How very enlightening. If you really want to know where he is, look in the tunnel behind me. I assure you, I left him just fine." Pennipes kept his smirk as he patted Ino on the head, before flashing out of sight almost instantly.

Ino's eyes widened. 'He's so fast...' She thought to herself before shakily running into the tunnel. 'Naruto is ok then, it was just another joke!' She convinced herself as she descended the stairs.

--

Inside the tunnel, a newly formed hand flexed. 'Well, well. This is interesting.' He glanced at the blond-haired boy lying unconscious on the ground. 'I always disliked that bright color... But those whisker marks, I missed.' The newly animated person looked around the room, and finally at the tunnel when he heard foot-steps. Someone was running to them. And they were in for a surprise. He could always deal with Naruto after the new arrival anyways.

--

Ino ran down the corridor at a measured pace. After she was within sight of the last door though, she slowed down. She could see Naruto already, looking at the center of the room with one hand in the pocket of his baggy ninja pants. As she approached, she noticed something else that was in the room. She couldn't see the whole thing, but a leg was visible through the doorway. Her eyes widened as she wondered about it.

"Yamanaka... It's been a while." Naruto turned around to face her, with his free hand making a fist. He let his hand unfold itself, reveling in the feeling.

Ino came to a stop at the door, a few yards away from Naruto.

"Naruto, what are you talking about? Who is that?" She pointed at the leg. "And what the hell are you doing here?"

"Naruto won't be able to answer you right now. He's kind of unconscious." The ninja gave Ino a shark-like grin.

"Wait, what? Naruto, stop playing around. We've all been looking for you..."

"So, Yamanaka, are you much of a ninja yet? Or are you still playing your pathetic little games?" The ninja laughed as Ino's arms went up, already with shuriken in them.

"So, you're going to mock me again, Naruto? Not after last time, not again!" Ino ground her teeth together, anticipating the fight.

"I see. How about this?" Ino dropped to her knees as she was hit with a wave of nausea. Dropping her shuriken, she covered her mouth in an attempt to hold back the wave of vomit that was threatening to burst from her stomach.

"Is this killing intent too much for you? Yamanaka, I'm disappointed with you." The ninja pulled a kunai out of his leg pouch. "Before you die, be sure that you remember my name..." Using his free right hand, the shinobi held the kunai in front of him. Dark chakra formed around the kunai, enough to be visible to Ino's eyes. As the kunai moved so it was pointed blade-first at Ino, she dropped onto her arms and threw up the expensive meal she had eaten with Team 10.

"My name... is..."

"Vereor!" He and another voice shouted simultaneously. The kunai launched from his hand at speeds Ino couldn't see, only to be intercepted by another kunai from the side. Ino shut her eyes as both kunai passed close enough to her head to nick her ears. She opened her eyes to see a blond haired, whisker-faced boy standing behind Vereor with his arm extended in the same way.

"Naruto." Vereor said with a grin.

Ino was again shocked at the genin standing in front of her. 'Naruto doesn't look anything like that... But, he saved me? What's going on here?'

"Perite." Naruto glared at him from behind. Vereor slowly turned around to look at him.

"Naruto... it's not nice to insult people."

"I think it's ok when they're scumbags like you!" Naruto stared at Vereor's eyes until he looked away.

"Those cursed eyes!" Vereor had a look of rage on his face after he lost the staring contest. "Let's see how tough you talk when I cut them out!"

--

Lots of plot development here. o.o; Again, really sorry it took so long to update. I remember a reviewer (Sorry if you're reading this, cause I don't remember your name off the top of my mind) asking if Naruto's hair color was some kind of demi-jutsu. And I'm sure most of you will wonder 'WTF?!' about Vereor. Both of these things will be explained in later chapters. Along with elaborations on the group/organization/clique that Naruto was in over in Iwa. I've been thinking about whether I should or shouldn't make more song-chapters. Looking back at the Graduation? chapter, I thought it was very... weird. Maybe the song choice was bad, but now I don't like it. Please, if you review (and please review, please (that's like 3 pleases so far. 4 now.)), tell me your feelings on this matter. And/or any story matter. You might find out something I haven't shared with everyone else yet! Or you could (if you're in need of cheap entertainment) read my lines upon lines of text that I type for no reason at all but to make a really long A/N. Yeah. And signing my name at the bottom of like each chapter is pretty lame. If you wanna know who wrote this (in my opinon) wonderful story, you could always just check at the top. So, yeah. Have fun during summer! And also have fun reading all those other wonderful Naruto fanfictions you read (unless you only read mine, for some completely insane reason. There are tons of way cooler ones, like Lost Soul, by LD 1449)! Now that I'm done babbling, (And you're done reading. Boring, right?) you can go. Thanks for reading, see you when I update next!


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